Four and Twenty
by sburke94
Summary: AU take on the Ezria Relationship. It's a thin line between friendship and love. Will Aria and Ezra be able to cross that line?
1. Prologue

_June 11th, 2012: Graduation Day~Ezra's POV_

Thirty minutes ago, the girl I love graduated from high school. And thirty minutes ago I watched her burst into tears as the boy she loved, my younger brother Paul, kissed her best friend Hanna Marin. Most importantly, thirty minutes ago I realized that I'd never have a shot with the woman of my dreams.

I was congratulating her when it happened. As both her former English teacher and a lifelong friend, I couldn't have been prouder. She was telling me of her plans to go to NYU in the fall; about how excited she was that Hanna and Paul were heading to New York too, and how she'd miss me. Although she prattled on and on about the things we were going to do over the summer and how much time she wanted to spend with me, her eyes kept straying over my shoulder towards Hanna–towards Paul.

I didn't know what I hated more–Paul's obliviousness to her feelings, or my inability to capture her affections. So in a desperate attempt to divert her away from heartbreak, I threw in my wild card.

"I took a job at a private school in New York."

Her eyes snapped back to mine, and just for a moment I could've sworn I saw relief in her gaze. "Really? Congratulations! It's crazy, isn't it, a coincidence like that?" She seemed generally stunned and for the first time all afternoon, and a genuine grin curved on her lips.

"Yeah, crazy." It wasn't coincidence–in fact, it was far from it. My motives were purely selfish, and in a twisted way, quite desperate really. The thought of not seeing her on a daily basis, not hearing her laughter, terrified me–or rather, the thought that she held so much power over me was terrifying.

I'd reasoned it all out–mainly so that I didn't feel like some sort of lovesick stalker. It was my duty as her older and therefore much wiser best friend to protect her from New York. I'd gone to college there too; I knew how rough the city could be. And some small part of me, the irrational part, the part that allowed me to develop feelings for a girl four years my junior, to fall head first for my childhood friend and former student–rationalized that maybe, just maybe leaving Rosewood and it's judgmental attitude behind would give me the chance to pursue a relationship with her.

My hope was crushed moments later when her gaze flicked over towards Paul and Hanna once more. Almost instantaneously, her eyes filled with tears and she fled the gymnasium–her heels echoing loudly on the wooden floor.


	2. Like Big Brother

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 1**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars…it would be nice if I did though. All characters (except for Paul, and any other future creations of mine) belong to Sara Shepard and ABC Family. <strong>

**So turns out my plans to take a break from writing were kind of unrealistic. This plot line has been bouncing around in my head for awhile and I just had to get it out on paper. This is NOT a sequel to Miserable At Best, and I currently don't have plans to write one. I'm a one project at a time kind of girl, but perhaps later down the road…anyway hope you enjoy! Don't forget to let me know what you think. **

**Also check out my blog…the link's on my profile… or follow me on twitter isburke for updates, spoilers, and teasers. **

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><p><em>August 2016: Falling In by Lifehouse<em>

**E**zra Fitz didn't pride himself on being a fool, and generally speaking he wasn't a very foolish person. He'd followed the straight and narrow path his parents had wanted for him, graduating from Hollis with honors and a double major, one in English and one in secondary education. He'd taken a job at the high school in his hometown, moved out of his parent's house and into his own warm, albeit very tiny, apartment, and had three short stories published—all by the tender age of twenty three. Then, he'd gone on to a private school in New York, earning twice the salary and playing protective sibling to his younger brother, although if he was honest, Ezra felt he was the one who needed protecting, not Paul. Yet even with his success and level headed attitude, Ezra Fitz had his moments of weakness. Today was one of those moments.

He wasn't sure why he'd chosen to come—well, it hadn't really been an option not to, but he could have made his visit brief. Say hello, watch them walk across the stage for a second time and accept their diplomas, and then leave. It was so neat and tidy, so painless—and he'd fumbled his plan and been suckered into staying by his beaming parents. Ezra may have been a successful English teacher, but Paul was a pre-med student graduating at the top of his class—doctors beat teachers any day.

He didn't begrudge Paul for choosing a field that was far more profitable than education; he really didn't. And he _was _proud, of all three of them. Paul had studied endlessly to pass, Aria had worked and written her butt off for her dual degree in English and journalism, and Hanna—well Hanna had gone shopping quite a bit for her fashion major. What Ezra did resent Paul for was his ability to be center of everything. His parents couldn't seem to stop smiling at Paul, Hanna clung tightly to his arm and hung on every word he said, and Aria stared at him like he was the sun—even after four years of watching her best friend date him. Paul ate it up, the compliments, the attention, and much to Ezra's distaste, he took advantage of Aria's feelings, although Ezra wasn't entirely sure if it was intentional or not.

Finally, after minutes of watching his tearful mother snap pictures of the three new graduates, and his father shake Paul's hand about fifty times, Ezra was able to catch Aria's attention. She grinned and stepped away from the joyous group to join him under the shade of the oak tree he was leaning against.

"Hey! Have you been there the whole time?"

"Sadly, yes. I was going to leave earlier and get some work done before we go out to dinner tonight, but they," he pointed towards his parents, "wanted me into stay."

"I'm glad you did. I'm so sick of taking pictures—so sick of watching them." Her eyes took on a faraway look as she glanced back over her shoulder to Paul and Hanna. "I mean, honestly how many times can they possibly kiss in an hour? It's sickening."

Ezra shook his head and chuckled.

"It's not funny, Ez."

"Whatever you say, Aria." He grinned again and this time his expression was mirrored by hers. "Let's not talk about them. I want to hear about you. What are you planning on doing since you won't have late night cram sessions anymore?"

"You'll find out at dinner. It's big."

"Big, huh? It must be something huge if you can't tell me now."

She smirked, took her cap off her head and handed it to him while she pulled bobby pins from her hair. "It is."

"Well, I'll wait with bated breath."

She giggled and reached out to take her cap back. "Please don't, dinner's not for several hours. I like you too much and that's a long time to go without breathing." Her face softened for a moment and she moved a bit closer to him. His hands sought hers out and linked their fingers tenderly. It wasn't a romantic gesture—at least not for her. The touch was familiar, comforting, and for Ezra, the only time when he felt he truly had her entire attention.

"I want to thank you. I don't think I could've survived this without you."

"Aria, I didn't…"

"You did. If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be trying to figure out the complexities of American authors." She giggled as she recalled the particularly challenging paper that he'd helped her out with. "And you helped me loosen up when I needed it. I probably would've have stayed holed up in my room writing if you hadn't been there."

She smiled brightly. "You're like the big brother I've never had."

He tried not to wince at the last statement. Big brother wasn't exactly what he wanted to be to her, and while being her best friend was rewarding, he wanted to be more. He _knew_ they could be much more; if only she'd give him a chance.

"You're welcome then. I'm still pretty sure you would've been alright without me though."

She shrugged. "Maybe, but I wouldn't have had as much fun."

He opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by the approach of Hanna, sans Paul at the moment.

"Aria, are you almost ready?"

Aria nodded and dropped Ezra's hands. "Sure, is Paul coming?"

"Nope, his parents want to have some 'alone time' with him."

Ezra struggled not to grin at the exasperated eye roll Hanna gave Aria. She may have been beautiful, but to Ezra's intellectual parents, intelligent vocabulary ranked higher than perfectly sculpted eyebrows.

"Oh, Ezra, I'm supposed to tell you that they want you to go with them too."

Ezra sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was spend his afternoon with his parents and gloating younger brother. "Alright. I'll see you girls tonight then?"

Aria nodded and Hanna smiled. "Of course. Seven thirty at Gallagher's."

Ezra headed off towards his family, leaving Aria and Hanna alone beneath the tree.

"You know, Aria? I feel like an adult for the first time in my life."

Aria giggled and linked her arm through Hanna's. "Somehow I'm not surprised. Let's go grab coffee and do a bit of shopping before we go out tonight. I want a new dress."

Hanna smiled. "Did you say shopping? Count me in!" Laughing and grinning like children, the two girls headed off towards the parking lot, turning to wave one last time at the Fitz family before they did so.

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><p><strong>A<strong>ria Montgomery didn't consider herself beautiful. Her eyes were too large for her face, the darkness of her hair too much of a contrast against her fair skin, and her petite 5'1'' frame seemed nearly dwarfed by everyone around her. She had very few curves to speak of, and her cheekbones were just a bit too high. But it didn't really matter, because being beautiful was Hanna Marin's job. Growing up, they'd been inseparable. It'd only taken one morning in Mrs. Anderson's kindergarten class at Rosewood Elementary to discover that they were two parts of the same puzzle—even if their personalities were completely opposite.

Hanna loved dolls, Aria loved books. Where Aria was dark and thoughtful, Hanna was golden and impulsive. Hanna was a ballerina, Aria was a writer. And most importantly, lest Aria forget for one moment that Hanna was the prettier one (although that never really happened because Hanna's baby blues and blonde curls were a constant reminder) Paul chose the fair haired vixen over the brunette bookworm.

Aria's job, in contrast, was to be the smart one, the stable one, the one that picked up the pieces when things fell apart. And she'd done that plenty enough in the past few years. Paul may have been the perfect guy—sensitive, smart, and attractive—but when his temper collided with Hanna's fiery nature all hell broke loose. Since they'd started dating their senior year of high school, Paul and Hanna had broken up fourteen different times. Each fall out fostered hope in Aria that one day she might get her shot with Paul. Inevitably though, Paul and Hanna found their way back to one another and Aria was left crushed, and alone.

Well not entirely alone, Ezra was always there; sweet, caring, and protective Ezra. He'd been her stable one, the one who'd tried, although was never really successful, at putting the shattered fragments of her heart back together after each reconciliation. There was no one she trusted more, no one she relied upon more heavily. When she came to him after a rough day, or after escaping the crowded atmosphere of her shared apartment with Hanna, he listened and offered advice, though whether he understood or not was never really clear.

"Aria, are you going to be in there all night? I have to shower too, you know!"

The sharp knock on the door and Hanna's terse question jarred Aria out of the stupor she'd been in. With a twinge of embarrassment, she realized she'd been standing beneath the scalding spray of the shower for nearly fifteen minutes and she hadn't even washed her hair.

"Sorry Han! Let me wash my hair real quick and the bathroom's all yours!"

"I'm timing you. Ten minutes, Aria."

Aria rolled her eyes. If her best friend had one major flaw, it was her flair for dramatics, and she considered lingering for another twenty minutes in the shower just to annoy her. However, a pissed off Hanna was never fun to deal with, and even less fun to be around, so true to her word Aria left the bathroom exactly ten minutes later, wrapped in a fluffy white robe and hair hanging limply over one shoulder.

"You can get in now."

Hanna gave a noncommittal grunt that sounded somewhere along the lines of "okay." Aria nearly laughed as Hanna trudged into the bathroom looking completely put out. Knowing her best friend however, Aria was fairly certain that a little hot water and rose scented body wash would solve Hanna's attitude problem—at least for the present moment.

In the meantime, and with plenty of time to kill before they had to leave for the restaurant, Aria pampered herself. Tonight was the first time in sixteen years that she didn't have to worry about anything school related, and her job, the job she was going to tell everyone about over dinner, didn't start for another week. She painted her nails a dark shade of navy and then added a coat of OPI's black shatter polish to add a bit of something extra. Her dress, which she'd bought earlier in the afternoon, fell to mid-thigh and was a silver silk tunic with an ebony lace overlay and cinched waist. She'd also purchased a pair of killer, glossy black pumps that made her legs appear far stronger and far longer than they actually were. Her hair she towel-dried and curled loosely before applying her traditional duo of neutral eye shadow and pink lip stain, layering her eye liner on just a bit thicker than normal to highlight her eyes. And for a few brief minutes, as she studied her reflection in the mirror she felt pretty. Her cheeks were flushed from the warm shower, her hair had just the right amount of shine, and each curl fell perfectly against the lace of her dress.

That moment of complete self confidence ended when Hanna breezed in glowing and radiant seconds later, wearing a pale pink, off-the-shoulder, chiffon dress and golden locks twisted elegantly at the nape of her neck.

"Wow, you look fantastic Aria! Looking to pick up guys tonight—or maybe just one guy in particular?"

She arched her eyebrow suggestively and Aria's eyes widened in shock—she couldn't know that her best friend had a thing for her boyfriend, could she? Aria had been so careful, saying all the right things, smiling as much as possible when they were together, and playing the role of supportive best friend when they fought.

"What are…what are you talking about?"

She sank down onto the edge of the bed and smiled softly. "Really, Aria? Don't play innocent with me. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

Aria frowned and bent to rummage in her jewelry box for a pair of earrings. "I really don't, Han."

"Sure you do. I mean come on, you and Ezra are nearly inseparable."

The bracelet she'd been holding clattered as it hit the top of the dresser. "Ezra? Hanna, I don't have a thing for Ezra."

"Come on, Aria. The guy's clearly in love with you, and I understand why you don't give him a shot. If I wasn't so in love with Paul, I'd probably be trying to get with the elder Fitz myself."

"This is ridiculous. Are you hearing yourself right now? We're talking about Ezra Fitz, as in my best guy friend since middle school. It's not like that with us."

"Fine, if you say so. At least just admit you find him attractive."

"Nope, not at all."

"Not even the tiniest little bit?"

Aria took a deep breath and composed herself before turning to face Hanna. The last thing she needed to do was say something snappish and then regret it when Hanna was ill with her for the rest of the night. "Sorry, Hanna. Not even a little bit."

She huffed and crossed her arms across her chest. "Fine, but you're no fun."

"That's your job, remember? I'm supposed to be the sensible one."

"Right. Well, oh-sensible-one, do you think I could borrow those vintage gold earrings you bought last week, you know the ones with the pearls?"

Aria smiled, grateful that Hanna had abandoned the topic of matchmaking. "Of course." She plucked the jewelry off hershelf and handed it to Hanna. "Will you be ready to go in about five minutes?"

She nodded and skipped out of the bedroom. "Sure, just let me grab my bag."

Aria slipped a few bangles onto her wrist and slid a pair of pearls into her ears, before grabbing a black studded clutch off of the night stand and heading out to meet Hanna.

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><p><strong>N<strong>ew York City is called a place of opportunity—they say if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. Paul Fitz hadn't made it yet, but he was going to. One day, he'd be chief of surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center, and he'd be making millions; he was sure of it. In the meantime, he was going to take another big step, and propose to his girlfriend of nearly four and half years, Hanna Marin.

They'd started dating in high school, she the quintessential "it" girl, and he captain of the lacrosse team. He'd fought hard for her, waiting out several other boyfriends until he got his chance. When she'd broken up with Sean, her longtime boyfriend, just three weeks before prom he'd been her knight-in-shining armor. Now, as their lives finally settled into some sense of normalcy, he felt ready to take the proverbial leap from bachelorhood to married man.

The ring he'd chosen was large, silver, and full of diamonds. Ezra had gone with him when he picked it out, and his older brother thought it was a bit gaudy. "It's what girls like these days," said the old man behind the glass counter at the jewelry store. So Paul had purchased it, and he'd been carting around the black velvet box everywhere he went all week, waiting for the right moment to ask her. Tonight was the night.

"I'm doing it tonight, man."

Ezra stared at his brother over the rim of the glass he was holding. "Doing what?"

"Proposing to Hanna."

The Jack Daniels Ezra had been tossing back nearly flew right back out of his mouth. "Tonight, like here at the restaurant tonight?"

"Yeah, should I not?" Paul shifted uncomfortably in the booth and signaled the waitress for another beer.

"I don't know. Do you think it's wise? I mean, shouldn't it be a private thing between the two of you-not broadcast for dozens of people to see?"

"Maybe. I'm just so nervous; I want to ask her before I lose my nerve again."

"I tell you what, wait until after dinner. I'll take Aria somewhere, to get coffee or something, and then you can ask Hanna however you want. Walk her back to the apartment, stop by central park, and pop the question there."

Paul grinned. "Ezra, you're a genius."

Ezra snorted. "Says the brilliant med student."

"Well, I can't deny that." Paul raised his glass, and Ezra followed suit. "To us and our brains."

The two brothers laughed, and each took a sip of their drinks.

"Starting without us, boys?" Hanna Marin smiled saucily as she slid into the booth beside her boyfriend.

"Just warming up, babe." Paul winked and leaned over to kiss her. "You look fantastic tonight." He glanced over towards Aria who'd taken a seat beside Ezra. "Not looking too bad yourself either, Montgomery."

Aria let out a light giggle, and Ezra knew she was reverting back into the fake persona she sported whenever she was around Paul and Hanna. "Thanks. Hanna and I went shopping this afternoon."

"Shopping, sweetheart? Paul draped his arm over Hanna's shoulders, and arched an eyebrow at her inquisitively. "Didn't we just do that yesterday?"

"Well yes, but it isn't everyday that a woman graduates from college. Rule number one of fashion: always go shopping on special occasions." Hanna laughed and Ezra rolled his eyes. Hanna didn't need a special occasion to go shopping—it was a daily habit.

Ezra felt the tap, tap, tap of Aria's fingers on the table top and slid a hand over hers to still its movement. "Relax," he whispered into her ear.

She sighed and glanced towards him. "I'm fine."

Hanna smirked at Aria from across the table and Aria shook her head vehemently.

"What's going on? I feel like I missed something."

Aria pressed her lips together and turned to smile sweetly at Paul. "Nothing. Hanna just thinks she's funny."

"But she is funny, comic, actually."

Aria stiffened and Ezra's hand slid to her lower back, the pads of his fingertips rubbing lightly over the silk of her dress. Again, she relaxed almost instantly. Eager to relieve the tension that seemed to be oozing from Aria, Ezra brought up the subject that'd been bugging him all afternoon—Aria's surprise.

"So, Aria, what's the big news? I've been waiting all day."

The first authentic grin Ezra had seen since the girls arrival curved on Aria's lips. "I got a job." She bit her lip and her eyes sparkled with excitement. Experience told him that she was beyond excited and was struggling to keep the good news to herself.

"And?"

"And I've been hired as a columnist for the New York Times lifestyle section. They read my blog about life in the city and they want to print something every week! Isn't that amazing? I mean, I just graduated today and…"

"Whoa, slow down a minute? _The _New York Times, as in the most famous newspaper in the world, New York Times?"

Aria nodded eagerly as Paul questioned her. "The one. I start next week."

"That's wonderful!" Paul flashed her a grin and Aria blushed.

She exhaled breathily. "Isn't it? I didn't believe it when they called me."

"What do you think, Ezra? Our little Aria all grown up and getting a job in the real world?"

Ezra frowned. Aria was the same age as Paul, and nothing bugged him more than when his younger brother referred to her as a child. "She's definitely not little anymore." His tucked a lock of hair behind her and smiled. "And it's great. I guess this means I'll be subscribing to the New York Times now."

Hanna giggled and Aria shot her another look. "Thank you, Ezra, although I'm pretty sure you should save your money. I'll get you a first edition copy."

"Speaking of money," everyone turned to look at Hanna, "guess who got an internship at Vogue? Looks like we'll both me working women, Aria!"

"That's fantastic, Han! It's what you've always wanted."

"I know, right? Just think of all the dresses, and shoes, and jewelry!"

"Hanna, it's not polite to drool at the table."

Paul and Aria laughed at Ezra's sarcastic comment.

"Well, since now seems the time to announce everything, I guess I'll throw in my two cents."

Ezra gulped as Paul spoke. If he did what Ezra thought he was about to do, Aria might have to be physically restrained.

"So this might be a bad idea, and tell me if you guys think it is, but what if the four of us get an apartment? I mean it doesn't make sense for all of us to be living separately when we spend practically every waking moment together."

There was silence for a moment, and then Hanna squealed, drawing curious stares from the other diners seated around us. "That's a great idea! What do you think, Aria?"

She shrugged, and glanced over at Ezra. "I guess I'm in."

"Well, I can't be the one to ruin the party, can I? When do we start looking?"

Aria picked up on the concerned note in Ezra's voice, and made a mental note to ask him about it later.

"Awesome! How about Saturday?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Their conversation was cut off as the waitress stopped by to take orders, and once she left, they quartet fell back into the easy rhythm of conversation, speaking of the commencement ceremony and what kind of apartment they wanted.

It was well after nine when the conversation began lulled. Ezra took it as his cue to leave, and tossed a few bills on the table top to pay for his check.

"I think I'm heading out for the night. It's getting late and I have some grading to do."

"Stay a little longer, please?" Aria stared at him with large eyes, her top lip quirking up in the classic _don't-leave-me-alone-with-them_ look.

"I can't. But why don't you come back with me? We'll stop by and grab some coffee at Starbucks, and then you can read the new short story I wrote. It needs the expert hand of a New York Times journalist." He winked at her and held out a hand.

She smiled gratefully. "Deal. But you're paying for coffee."

The two said their goodbyes to the Paul and Hanna, and left lovers alone in the booth.

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><p><strong>E<strong>zra Fitz was not a night owl. He liked getting his full eight hours, and he hated any kind of interruption, unless it was an emergency. Apparently, Paul had deemed his engagement to Hanna an emergency, for he called at one in the morning to tell him that she'd said yes.

"Hello?" Ezra blinked his eyes slowly, wincing as he realized he still had his contacts in and they were incredibly dry.

"She said yes! Dude, you're a genius."

Shifting slowly, Ezra was surprised to find a warm, and very much asleep Aria curled up at his side, one tiny hand clenched in the soft fabric of his t-shirt. He didn't remember dozing off, only that they'd been watching a movie and he'd murmured something about being tired. Apparently, Aria had felt the same, for when Ezra shifted to get up off the couch without jostling her, she didn't even stir.

"Paul, couldn't this have waited until morning?"

"Why are you whispering? And no, it couldn't have. I'm so excited."

"We're whispering because Aria's asleep on the couch and I don' t want to wake her."

"Oh."

"Congratulations, Paul."

"Thanks, man. Listen, do you think Aria could crash over there tonight? Hanna's well on her way to being hammered, and I don't want Aria to have to deal with it."

Ezra smirked. Hanna Marin wasn't a heavy drinker. Paul just wanted to have the girls' tiny two bedroom apartment alone to himself…with his new fiancée. He glanced over at where Aria lay sleeping on the couch. She hadn't moved, and by the looks of it she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. "Sure, Paul. Just call me before you head back over here tomorrow."

"Can do. Hey, could you do me one more thing?"

Ezra rubbed his temple in frustration and bit back a sigh. "Of course, what do you need?"

"Don't tell Aria, Hanna wants to tell her."

"Alright, I'll keep it to myself tonight."

"Thanks, I'll see you in the morning."

"Bye, Ezra."

Shutting his phone, Ezra grabbed a fleece throw blanket off the back of the arm chair and draped it over Aria. He felt guilty for not telling her, and he was already mentally prepping himself for the nightmare of tomorrow. He was quite certain there'd be tears, anger, and an extremely emotional Aria. He flicked off the lamp and gently removed her stilettos before heading back towards his bedroom, anxious to get what little sleep he could.


	3. Big Girls Don't Cry

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Liars. All rights belong to Sara Shepard and ABC Family. **

**Background: So there was a bit of confusion about the scenario that's going on in this story. That's mostly my fault. Here's the run down: The four of them (Aria, Ezra, Paul, and Hanna) grew up together in Rosewood. Ezra's a few years older than the other three and was their English teacher senior year. However, there wasn't any kind of romantic relationship going on between Aria and Ezra at that time. **

**Paul, Hanna, and Aria went to NYU for college, and Ezra took a job in the city after learning that Aria was moving there. Paul and Hanna are dating, and have been since senior year of high school. Aria's in love with Paul, and Ezra's in love with Aria. **

**As of right now, the relationship between Aria and Ezra is purely platonic. **

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><p><em>August 2016: For the First Time by The Script<em>

**A**ria Montgomery was and always had been an early bird. She could count on one hand the number of times she'd slept in beyond eight in the past year, and of those times, three of them had been because she had the flu.

The morning of Friday, August twenty-sixth, was no exception. She woke just after seven, cramped, sore, a bit disoriented, and chilled to the bone, with the belt of her dress digging into the soft area just below her rib cage; all in all, not a pleasant way to wake up. The thought of lying in for another hour was tempting—it was overcast outside, and the slow drizzle of rain upon the windowpane was soothing. But she'd kicked the blanket to the floor, and Ezra's couch wasn't her quilt-top, queen size mattress.

With a quiet groan she heaved herself off the couch. The wooden floorboards were cold against her toes, and she dimly wondered when she'd taken her shoes off. A quick scan of the room revealed that they, along with her cell phone and clutch were sitting in a neat pile on one of the kitchen barstools. She smiled as she realized Ezra's thoughtful gesture; sometimes she wondered if she deserved a friend as good as he. There weren't many guys she knew that were willing to take care of an overemotional, and oft times completely irrational woman at the drop of a hat—especially one who wasn't their girlfriend. But _he_ did, without question and without judgment. She slipped her heels back on, checked her phone for news messages—there were none—and tucked her purse under her arm before tiptoeing towards Ezra's bedroom to see if he was awake.

The door to his room was ajar, and she peeked in to see if her movements had caused him to stir—they hadn't. He lay sprawled across the bed, legs tangled in the sheets, one arm tossed across his eyes to block out light, and the other draped across his bare chest. Aria's relationship with Ezra may have been purely platonic, but even she couldn't deny that he was an attractive man. He was a few inches taller than Paul, too tall she thought, but he sported the same shock of curly black hair and deep blue eyes. Ezra was built like a soccer player, lean and toned, while Paul was sturdier, with arms like those of a football player.

Ezra sighed softly and rolled onto his side, reaching out as he did so to pull a pillow to his stomach. Aria blushed and realized that she'd been staring at him for quite some time—far longer than was required to see if she'd woken him. Pulling his door to quietly, she tiptoed out of the apartment and headed out into the cool New York morning to find a cab to take her home.

* * *

><p><strong>P<strong>aul Fitz couldn't wait until they were all under one roof—well, until he and Hanna were under one roof, sharing one bed. He'd been trying for years to get her to move in with him, but she'd been adamant; no Aria, no deal. So he'd compromised, as couples were supposed to do, and suggested that the three of them and Ezra get a bigger apartment together—combine their two households into one. His plan worked, they'd all agreed. In two weeks, give or take a few days, he'd be living full time with Hanna, and he wouldn't feel like a guilty child sneaking out of her apartment in the early hours of the morning in an effort to avoid Aria. It wasn't that Aria didn't know what her best friend was doing with Paul, but with the way the apartment was laid out, there wasn't really an escape from the lovers—and that bothered Hanna. And if it bothered Hanna, it bothered Paul.

That's why the roommate idea was so brilliant. The apartment he'd chosen, although none of the others had seen it, was a three bedroom, two and a half bath, spacious place on the Lower East Side. Best of all, one of the bedrooms was on the complete opposite side of the house of the other two. Put simply, he and Hanna could have their privacy. And lest his rationale seem selfish, Paul had managed to convince Ezra that living with Aria put him one step closer to a relationship with her. Ezra would get his girl, and Paul got Hanna. It was logic at its finest, and, as Paul ran into Aria on the elevator of the girls' apartment building, he realized he couldn't wait for moving day.

"Paul."

He nodded and let her exit before he got on. "Aria. How was last night?"

She sighed and he placed a hand on the door to prevent it from closing. "Fine, although you guys should invest in a new couch. My neck is killing me."

These were the moments he felt guiltiest. "I'll look into it."

She laughed, and he relaxed a bit. "I'm kidding Paul. I'll see you later this weekend, alright?"

"Sounds good." He stepped back and watched her walk down the hallway towards the apartment until the elevator doors closed. He really hoped that Ezra got a move on soon; Aria was too great of a girl to let slip away.

* * *

><p><strong>W<strong>hile Aria was an early riser, Hanna was most certainly not. Which was why, upon entry into the apartment, Aria was startled by the chipper hello Hanna threw her way.

"Isn't it a wonderful day?"

Aria laughed and set down her things. "What are you on? It's pouring outside. And why the hell are you out of bed? It's just now eight."

"I don't think I've been this excited in a long time. Everything just seems so much…brighter."

Aria cast a curious glance around the apartment. Things definitely weren't bright. The shades were down, and the curtains drawn tightly against them, blocking out what little light was breaking through the heavy clouds. She toed off her shoes and crossed over to where Hanna sat at the kitchen table, munching happily on Captain Crunch.

"Seriously, Han, what's wrong with you?"

Hanna didn't seem to hear her. "Go get in the shower, we have shopping to do!"

Aria sat down at the kitchen table next to her. "We just went shopping yesterday. What is so important to buy that it can't wait until a decent hour? The stores aren't even open yet!"

Hanna grinned and outstretched her left hand towards Aria. "A wedding dress, silly! Paul proposed last night!"

Aria had never really experienced devastation before. She'd lost competitions, experienced heartbreak, plenty of times in her twenty-three years. Nothing compared however, to the gut wrenching anguish she felt as Hanna waved her bejeweled ring finger in her face.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

And it was. The silver band was encrusted with diamonds; with a large princess cut stone set in the center. "Yeah, it is."

"Aria, what's wrong? This is the part where you're supposed to be jumping up and down with joy."

Aria winced, and brought a hand to her forehead. "I have…my head's just killing me right now." She sighed and leaned down to wrap her arms around Hanna in a tight hug. "I'm happy for you, Han. He's a great guy." It killed her to say that, to congratulate her friend on an engagement she wanted for herself.

"I know, isn't he? This ring is perfect, and you know, I didn't even have a clue! So, shower, get dressed, and then we're going to find the best Cinderella style wedding dress in the city."

"Hanna, I'm not really feeling up to that. Do you think we can do it tomorrow?"

Aria watched her best friend's face crumple, and for the briefest moment she felt terrible that she was letting her emotions ruin Hanna's excitement.

"Well, I guess we can. I just really wanted…never mind."

Aria managed a faint smile and pulled away from Hanna. "I'm really sorry. Don't you want to spend the day with," she swallowed hard, "Paul? I mean you only get engaged once. You guys should celebrate."

"I suppose you're right. Do you need anything? Tylenol, water?"

Aria shook her head. "No, I just want to take a shower and get into bed. I didn't get much sleep last night."

Hanna smirked, and Aria immediately regretted the way she phrased her statement. "Any reason why? Maybe a particular, hot, single, English teacher?"

"Sorry Hanna, that's one match that you're never going to make."

"Well, I'm not giving up yet."

Hanna reached for her cell phone, and Aria turned and headed into the bathroom.

* * *

><p><strong>A<strong>ria had always seen tears as a sign of weakness, a sign that a person had been defeated and some sort of evil had won. So she didn't cry, at least not very often, and certainly not as many times a week as Hanna did. Hanna cried over everything—a lost earring, a chipped nail, bad reality TV, spilt milk. Aria didn't. For Paul however, she made an exception. At that moment, standing beneath the scalding spray of the shower, shoulders slumped and hair plastered to her forehead, crying felt appropriate. Evil had, at least in her viewpoint, prevailed.

She stayed in the shower until the hot water ran out, and even then lingered until the icy temperature became unbearable. Her legs were covered in goose bumps by the time she toweled off, and she wrapped herself in the heavy robe hanging on the back of the door just to feel some small bit of warmth. The tears had made her face puffy, although she was certain if Hanna asked questions she could pass it off as an effect of her too warm shower.

The apartment was empty when she emerged from the bathroom, and for that she was grateful. She felt sick to her stomach, and the headache she'd feigned to escape from Hanna's plans to go dress shopping was quickly becoming a reality. The thought of curling up in bed until the ache in her stomach went away seemed like a promising idea, but considering the way she felt, she'd likely be there for an eternity. Instead, she went through the motions of getting herself ready for the day. She dried her hair, combed it into a loose ponytail, slid on her most comfortable pair of skinny jeans, tugged a tank top over her head, and rummaged in the bottom of her dresser until she found the softest t-shirt she owned. Oddly enough, it was an old NYU shirt of Ezra's she'd borrowed after one particularly rainy afternoon. They'd been walking home from the library when the downpour had started, and his apartment had been closer. It'd been great fun at first, splashing in the puddles like five year old, but as the chills set in, she'd found herself wishing she'd worn something a little more substantial than a dress and thin cardigan. He'd come to her rescue as he always did, tossing her the shirt and a dry pair of sweat pants the moment they'd gotten home. The sweat pants had been given back, the shirt had not. Instead, she'd cropped it, turning the formerly way-too-large garment into a cozy little shirt that hung off one shoulder.

Her phone rang just after she finished dressing, and with another painful lurch she realized it was Paul. She couldn't talk to him now, at least not without making a fool of herself. Pressing ignore, she stepped into her converses and grabbed her wallet off the counter. Curling up in bed may not have been an option, but running away certainly was.

**T**o say that Ezra Fitz was surprised when his doorbell rang just after nine thirty would have been ludicrous. And to say that the person waiting on the other side of said door was anyone other than Aria Montgomery would have been absurd. He answered it just after the first chime, took one glance at her, grabbed his car keys off their hook by the door, and led her by the hand out towards the parking deck.

Twenty minutes later she finally spoke. They'd left the chaos and noise of the city behind and were headed north on the highway, which was, considering it was just after rush hour, fairly empty.

"Where are we going?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper, and she sounded like she was on the verge of tears. Ezra glanced over at her, worried and fearful that she'd break down. He was good at many things; dealing with a crying Aria was not one of them.

"I don't know. Is there somewhere you want to go?"

"No."

"Then we're just driving. By the way, is that my shirt?"

She nodded and sank further into the seat, her eyes fluttering closed and her fingertips drumming out a soft rhythm on the leather of the dashboard. "I hope you didn't want it back. I don't think it'll fit anymore."

He grinned and turned the radio down just a bit. "You can have it. It looks better on you anyway. Besides, that shade of blue isn't really my color."

The giggle he'd been expecting from her at his bad joke didn't come. Instead, she turned her head to look out the window. "Every shade of blue looks good on you."

His heart swelled, and then was crushed moments later when in a voice laced with the sourness of betrayal asked him the question he'd been dreading most. "Did you…did you know he was going to ask her?"

He swallowed thickly. This was one of those hard moments when he had to choose between being honest and telling her something she didn't want to hear, and lying so that she'd feel better. The latter didn't win out. "Yes."

"Did you know he was going to ask her last night?"

"Yes."

He watched her fingers flex against the dashboard, her nails making soft, crescent moon shaped indentions in the fabric. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't my place."

Her eyes flew open and she stared at him accusingly. "Yes it was!"

She was angry now, but to him, anger was better than anguish. "You should've warned me, so that when I went home this morning I didn't walk into an insanely giddy Hanna who couldn't wait to flash her GIANT engagement ring in my unsuspecting face!"

"What do you want me to say, Aria?"

She seemed to soften at that, and offered up no response. He pulled off the highway at the next exit and stopped at a small, lone building about two miles down the road.

"Where are we?"

"Your new favorite place." Ezra took the keys out of the ignition and opened his car door. Aria didn't budge. "Are you coming or not?"

She stepped out onto the wet pavement, one eyebrow raised at him skeptically as she surveyed the sign. "Abe's?"

He shrugged. "Don't let the name fool you. They have the best coffee this side of Rosewood, and the books are pretty great too."

Ezra felt relief for the first time that morning as the sadness in her eyes was dimmed by excitement. Bookstores were her weakness. Normal girls liked shoes, and jewelry, and handbags. Aria Montgomery liked books.

Something reminiscent of a genuine smile touched her lips. "I'll hold you to that."

Abe, the owner and namesake of the bookshop was the only person inside. He sat on a stool behind the cash register, his golden retriever Sadie lay by his feet. The dog lifted her head to study the couple as they entered, decided they were harmless enough, and curled back up again.

"Ezra! I haven't seen you in a while."

"It has been a long time, hasn't it? How are things Abe?"

"Well enough, I suppose. Who's your friend?"

"I'm Aria." She held out her hand, and Abe squeezed it gently.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Abe. Are you two looking for anything in particular today?"

Ezra shook his head. "Nope, we just needed to get out of the city for a bit."

The elderly gentleman nodded. "Understandable. Never was able to handle all the hustle myself. Let me know if you need anything." He sat back down on his stool, and Ezra placed a hand on the small of Aria's back to guide her through the shop.

The tension Aria had been harboring all morning seemed to drain as she trailed her fingertips thoughtfully over the spines of the books, pausing every so often to pull one out and skim the first few pages. Ezra trailed behind her for a few moments, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as she grew more and more engrossed by the texts before her. What had started out as a plan to get out of the city had turned into a perfect way to spend a rainy Friday, even if she was still hurting.

He left her alone after a few moments, abandoning the shelves of romance novels in favor of getting a steaming cup of coffee from Abe. The old man was still seated on his stool when Ezra approached. The dog hadn't moved either.

"She's pretty."

Ezra grinned at the sly twinkle in the old man's eye. "That she is. Can I get two coffees, one black and one with sugar?"

Abe nodded. "Sure thing." He turned away to pour the brew from the pot into two mugs. "She's the one isn't she, the girl you talk about all the time?"

"Yeah." He sighed and glanced over towards where Aria had curled up in one of the ratty arm chairs near the window, a book propped open on her knees. "She's the one."

"Something's wrong, isn't it? She seems…broken."

Ezra's shoulders slumped and he took the two cups of coffee from Abe. "She is, or at least she thinks she is. But I think I can fix her—she just has to give me a chance. She_ needs_ to give me a chance."

Abe smiled knowingly. "You will. Necessity is the mother of taking chances."

"Did Emerson say that?"

Abe shook his head. "Nope, Twain. And the coffee's on the house."

Ezra wandered back towards Aria, handing her the coffee with sugar before taking a seat on the couch opposite her.

"How do you feel?"

She sipped slowly on the hot beverage for a few seconds before answering. "Better, I guess. It still hurts, but if I don't think about…"

"Don't think about it then."

She groaned and set the book on the small table between the chairs. His gaze flitted over the gold lettering on the spine, _To Kill a Mocking Bird,_ a favorite of hers and of his. "I can't not think about it, Ez. I love him."

He'd heard those words hundreds of times before. _I love him. _Him as in Paul. Him as in not Ezra. "Aria, have you ever wondered if it's him you love, or if it's the idea of him that you love?"

She furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Look at it this way. He and Hanna have been together for nearly five years now, and in that time you haven't even once tried to make your feelings known to him. Maybe you just like having someone to hold onto."

"That's crazy! Of course I love him."

"Think about it, Aria. What upsets you more, him being with anyone but you, or him being with Hanna?"

Her teeth caught the corner of her lower lip, teasing it, worrying it, until the flesh turned a warm shade of pink. It was a nervous habit, and Ezra knew he was getting through to her. "Him being with Hanna, I guess. She's always been the one with the perfect guy. You know how she is; Hanna trades up, not breaks up. And Paul, well he's pretty damn near perfect."

Ezra ran a hand through his hair in frustration. This was not where he had wanted the conversation to go. "Aria, maybe you should take a chance, get past the idea that Hanna is always going to be the one with the ideal guy."

"Are you saying that I should tell Paul how I feel? That if I tell him how much I care he'll leave her for me?"

Her voice was growing bitter and Ezra regretted even bringing the subject up. This was definitely not the direction he had been aiming for. "No."

"Good, because things don't work like that Ezra. Things don't work like they do in the movies."

He stared at her then, memorizing the way her eyes flashed in anger and her lips quirked into a sad pout. She was beautiful in that moment. She was always beautiful.

"They could." He spoke softly, barely above a whisper, and met her gaze straight on.

For the briefest of minutes he was certain that he'd finally, finally gotten through to her—that she realized he was speaking of them, of Aria and Ezra, not of Paul and Aria. And then, the dog barked and that hope was shattered, as it was every single time.

She stiffened, took another long drink of her coffee and then set it on the table next to her book. "Life isn't a fairytale, Ezra. The sooner I accept that, the easier things will be. I'm going to move on." Aria said it with such determination, with such finality, that Ezra nearly believed her. "Now, can you drive me back? I think I will go shopping with Hanna this afternoon after all.


	4. You Can't Always Get What You Want

**Four And Twenty: Chapter 3**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars. All rights belong to Sara Shepard and ABC Family respectively. <strong>

**Aleexx96: 'Something Borrowed' was actually one of the core inspirations for this story, although things work out differently than they do in the movie/book.**

**Iceyhearted: The story is called Four and Twenty because each chapter represents a different Friday over the course of two years. There will be twenty-five total chapters, 24 regular ones plus the prologue. **

**A big thank you to everyone who reviews! Your comments, suggestions, and sometimes even criticisms keep me going.**

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><p><em>October 2016: Masochist by Ingrid Michaelson<em>

**S**haring an apartment with her three best friends wasn't quite the TV sitcom experience Aria had hoped for. Instead of camaraderie reminiscent of that between Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, and Ross from Friends, she'd moved into a situation far more similar to Sex and The City meets MTV's Real World: New York Edition. She'd known that Paul and Hanna's relationship was volatile at times, but until she lived with them for a full week she didn't realize the extent of their constant arguing. For the most part, it was trivial, the toilet seat left up, a miscommunication in dinner plans, etc. And there was plenty of sex too; they did that nearly as often as they fought.

The one week mark was also the turning point for she and Ezra's relationship. When they'd first looked at the apartment, the shared bathroom between their two bedrooms hadn't seemed a big deal. She was always up long before he was, there were two sinks, and plenty of storage space for her plethora of fingernail polish, makeup, and hair accessories. They set up a system, unconsciously really. She'd get ready in the bathroom from seven to eight, and then he'd have it from eight to eight-thirty. It'd worked too, for six days anyway. On the seventh, Aria overslept by twenty minutes. It was a Friday, and though she didn't have to be at work until nine, those twenty minutes were precious, coveted moments. Twenty minutes would mean the difference between perfectly curled hair and a messy bun—she hadn't been on the job long enough to get away with looking sloppy.

She'd scrambled through her shower, dropping her bottle of shampoo on her foot twice, and muttering a few unkind words beneath her breath. Drying off wasn't much easier—she stumbled out of the tub, only barely managed to catch herself on the towel rack, and then stubbed the same toe against the corner of the bathroom cabinet. By the time she snapped her bra behind her back and shimmied her panties up her legs, Aria had resigned herself to having a bad day.

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><p><strong>E<strong>zra Fitz wasn't a big morning person. In general, his mornings were mundane—shower, shave, dress, chug down two cups of coffee, and head downtown to teach a lesson on comma placement, rhetoric devices, and if he was _really _lucky, the differences between verb tenses. There were a few of course that were simply horrendous—he'd nick himself with razor, spill coffee down his shirt (after he'd arrived at school, no less), and leave his lesson plans at home. And even rarer than the terrible mornings, were the fabulous ones; those days when everything went perfectly smooth-some student brought him a donut, he had time to get a coffee from Starbucks rather than make it himself, and more than likely there was a school holiday involved.

The morning of Friday, October 16th however, was one for the record books. There hadn't been anything abnormal about it really. His alarm went off at 7:55 am as it did every weekday . He lay in bed for five minutes, struggling in vain to reclaim the bliss of sleep, and give himself a mental pep talk about how he loved his job. At eight he rolled out of bed, stretched, and trudged the seven feet towards the door that connected his bedroom to the bathroom he shared with Aria.

Somehow the sound of her hair dryer didn't register in his groggy, half-awake mind. He swung the door open without thinking, and was greeted by the sight of Aria, bent over at the waist as she dried her hair, clad in only a skimpy pair of black lace underwear and a matching bra. He blinked a few times, trying to decide if she was actually there or if he was just having a really, really good dream. The shriek she gave just seconds later as she finally noticed his presence confirmed, rather unfortunately he thought, that it was the first option.

He knew what was going to happen just milliseconds before it actually did. Aria's head snapped up and slammed straight into the towel rack. A groan of shock was ripped from her throat and then she crumpled to the floor, one hand cradling her head, the other wrapped tightly around her middle.

"Aria! Are you alright?"

Her shoulders heaved, and Ezra watched worriedly as she wiped a tear from her cheek. He crossed the small bathroom in three quick steps and kneeled down at her side, his fingertips tracing lightly over the small knot forming on the top of her head.

"Aria?"

Suddenly her eyes flew open and Aria grinned at him. "I hate my life." She broke into another fit of giggles, and wiped a few more tears of mirth from her eyes.

Ezra drew back and brushed a few loose tendrils of hair from her forehead. "What?"

She clutched her stomach as she laughed again, and he struggled to keep his gaze above her neck. "This has to be the worst morning in the history of mornings. I'm surprised I haven't managed to kill myself."

He laughed then, relieved to know that she was both okay, and finding it slightly ironic that the worst morning in her book was definitely one of the best in his. "I'm sorry I scared you. I didn't know you were still in here."

She shook her head. "It's not your fault. I'm running late today." Aria caught her hand in his and linked their fingers together loosely. "Thanks by the way."

He furrowed his brow. "For what?"

"For making me laugh. I needed that."

Ezra stood up first, and then tugged her up beside him. "Anytime. But what exactly was it that I did that was so funny? I mean, if you think about it, I could've caused some serious brain damage. That corner of that bar is pretty sharp."

She giggled again. "It's the boxers."

He frowned and glanced down to see what he was wearing. Damn. Damn. Damn. Of all the times to choose to wear the cookie monster boxers Paul got him as a gag gift two Christmases ago, he, Ezra Fitz, would chose the one morning he caught the love of his life mostly naked in the bathroom.

"Yeah, well, Paul picked them out." Even as he said it, he knew the excuse sounded lame. He flushed in embarrassment and dropped her hand. Here he was, a twenty-nine year old man, trying to explain to the girl of his dreams why he had cartoon characters on his underwear. Maybe he'd been wrong; perhaps this wasn't a morning that would go down in the record books.

Aria grinned. "I think they're cute." Suddenly, her face slackened and she moved several inches away. "Oh god," her hand flew to her mouth in mortification, "I can't believe I just said that."

Had he not been so thoroughly embarrassed, he might've laughed at the expression of absolute terror on her face. "Well, um…"

"Right, so…"

She glanced away from him, her eyes drifting to the small digital clock on the bathroom counter. "Crap! I'm going to be late."

Ezra followed her gaze—_he was already late_.

Aria reached for her blower dryer, but Ezra snatched it from her hand before she could turn it on. "Don't go in today."

She arched an eyebrow. "I have to go! I've only been working there for three weeks."

"And you're already three weeks ahead of your next deadline. I can't believe I'm saying this, but play hooky with me today."

"What?"

"You heard me. Let's just take the day off. I'll get a substitute, you call your boss and then put on some," his eyes traveled the length of her body unconsciously and he gulped, "clothes on, and then we'll go get some breakfast."

"Ezra, I can't."

He folded his arms across his chest and nodded. "Yes, you can. Now go. You can have the bathroom back after I shower."

Then, like flipping on a light switch, her demeanor changed, a grin spreading over her lips and her eyes brightening with excitement. "Alright, you have a deal. But I get to pick where we have breakfast."

Ezra flashed her smile. "Fair enough."

He nodded and watched as she turned on her heel and fled the bathroom, his eyes once again landing on her scantily clad lower half. Ezra glanced at himself in the mirror and groaned…of all the mornings to wear cookie monster boxers.

* * *

><p><strong> A<strong>fter parting ways mid-afternoon, Ezra didn't see Aria again until late that night. He arrived just before eleven at the club Hanna and Paul had chosen for their engagement part. It was some swanky place downtown—not exactly the intimate setting he would've chosen, and certainly not what Aria had had in mind when Hanna asked her to plan the whole thing. The bar was packed though, and the VIP area they'd rented out was crammed with friends of theirs, drinking, gossiping, and congratulating the beaming couple.

Aria, not surprisingly was withdrawn from the main group, seated next to his best friend Hardy on one of the couches. The past few weeks since Paul's proposal had been trying for her, and Ezra was fairly sure that he'd heard her crying a few times late at night. But she put on a good face, held herself together, and even seemed to grow more comfortable with their relationship—if there was any possible way to be comfortable living with a couple who were almost always making out. She seemed more radiant than Hanna in a one-shoulder, slinky blue number trimmed with black lace that hugged her curves, although he may have been a bit biased. She held a drink in her hand, and wore a small smile on her lips as she spoke. It was Hardy that noticed him first, and he let out a low whistle as Ezra approached.

"I'll be damned, if it isn't Fitzy looking all spiffy. Who knew an old man could clean up so well?"

"Clever. Have you forgotten that you're five months older than I am, Hardy?"

Ezra insinuated himself into the group, sitting down on the other side of Aria. "Ehh—I prefer to look at it as a mere technicality. What do you think, Aria?"

He shook his head at his best friend's antics, and met Aria's gaze for the first time that night. She grinned at him and took a small sip of her drink. "I think you're only as old as you act."

"See, Ezra? I act much younger than you do."

Aria giggled. "Don't be so sure of yourself, Hardy. I take it Ezra hasn't told you about his fondness for cartoon characters?"

Ezra flushed and sent Aria a stern glare warning her not to take it any further.

"Cartoon characters? Nope, I don't think he's ever mentioned that before."

"And I never will, Hardy, so don't get your hopes up. I'm sure however, that Aria would love to tell you about her partiality to black lace." Ezra couldn't help but smirk as Aria flushed as red as the cocktail she was holding.

"Touché, Ezra. Touché." She raised her glass towards him for a moment, before wandering over to where Hanna stood.

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><p><strong> H<strong>alf an hour later, a very morose Ezra Fitz sat at the bar nursing a cold beer, and doing his best to ignore the fact that he was a) pissed at Hardy for continually bringing up the lack of progress he'd made in the romance department over the past few years, and b) that Aria was currently wrapped around some other guy on the dance floor. He was failing miserably.

"What's with the long face, man? It's a party, not a funeral."

"Shut it, Hardy."

Ezra signaled the bartender for another drink and turned to glare at his friend. "Isn't there someone else you can go harass?"

Hardy shook his head. "Nope. You're the lucky one tonight."

"Great."

Ezra traced his finger around the rim of his empty glass and glanced out over the dance floor, hoping that Aria had found someone else to dance with—she hadn't. Hardy followed his friends gaze, and sighed softly. "Don't tell me you still haven't told her."

"Told her what?"

"You know what I'm talking about. How is it that the two of you have been living together for more than a week, yet you haven't made some kind of move?"

Ezra shrugged. "I'm just waiting for the right time I guess."

Hardy scoffed and took a sip of his beer. "It's been four years. Any clue when the right time is going to be?"

"Nope."

"You're not being very talkative tonight."

"Yeah, well maybe I don't feel like it." Ezra shifted so that he could find Aria in the crowd again, and couldn't explain the relief he felt when he saw her dancing with Hanna. Hanna was safe—and more importantly, Hanna wasn't a guy.

At that moment, Aria turned her head the tiniest fraction of an inch, and her gaze locked with Ezra's. Her lips curved in a broad grin, and she waved at him before turning back to whisper something in Hanna's ear.

"Well?"

Ezra rolled his eyes and looked at Hardy. "Well, what?"

"Aren't you going to dance with her?"

"I don't dance."

Hardy took Ezra's beer from his hand, and gave his friend a small shove off the stool he was sitting on. "You do now."

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><p><strong>A<strong>ria Montgomery loved dancing. She loved the way rhythm and beat worked together to form a melody that flowed naturally, and made it easy to twist and shimmy and shake. But Aria Montgomery hated slow songs, and as the upbeat pop tune faded into a mellow, romantic ballad she barely managed to suppress a groan.

She supposed her dislike stemmed from her single status—watching couples cling to one another and sway together, watching Paul and Hanna dance together was not easy. And just as the song began, Paul appeared at Hanna's side, his lips quirked in a tender smile, and a hand stretched out towards her.

"Dance with me?"

Hanna grinned and pecked him on the cheek. "Always."

Aria bit her lip as the two of them moved off to dance together, scanning the faces for someone to dance with. She'd just about given up hope, and resigned herself to sit the song out, when Ezra approached her. He held out a hand and she took it gratefully, allowing him to tug her closer until her head rested on his shoulder and his arm wrapped snuggly around her waist.

"You look beautiful tonight."

She smiled against his shoulder and chuckled lightly. "Thank Hanna, she picked the dress out."

"I wasn't talking about the dress."

Aria lifted her head to look at him quietly for moment, her eyes searching his in an effort to discern what he was getting at. Unsure of what to say, she settled on neutral topic, mumbling some comment about how happy Paul and Hanna looked.

"What about you, Aria? Are you happy?"

He turned them in a full circle and back again before she responded. "I am. You were right, Ezra."

"About what?"

"About the difference between loving someone and being in love with the idea of them. I don't love Paul—at least not romantically. Now I guess I just have to get back in the game—find the right guy."

The song ended and Ezra pulled away to glance down at her. She was smiling at him so brilliantly, her red lips curved perfectly against the white of her teeth. He leaned towards her and couldn't help but grin slightly as her chin tipped up and her eyes fluttered close.

"Maybe you've already found him."

Their lips brushed together for the briefest of moments and a small sigh escaped his lips as he finally got what he'd been dreaming of for years.

Then, just as abruptly as it'd begun, the perfect moment was over. She jerked away as if his touch had burned her, and his stomach dropped—he'd been a fool…again.

"What are you doing?"

"Kissing you."

Ezra reached for her again, his fingertips brushing softly against the bare skin of her arms.

"We're just friends, Ezra."

She stared at him accusingly, her hands dropping from where they'd been resting on his shoulders.

His eyes widened and some part of him grew angry that she was rejecting him—again. "And it was friendly kiss! Aria, come on. You're only hurting both of us!"

She softened at that, and he thought perhaps he'd gotten through to her. Aria's eyes closed in pain and she took a deep breath before speaking again. "If I'm hurting you Ezra, then I'm really sorry. But I just can't do this."

Her words were like another punch to the gut. "You can…" he whispered, but she was already gone, her midnight blue dress blending into the throng of people on the dance floor.

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><p><strong>AN: Uh-oh. Looks like Ezra just screwed things up big time. Do you think Aria can figure things out—can she figure her own heart out? Any suggestions for scenes would be awesome—I love incorporating ideas from readers. Next Chapter: Somebody's headed for Splitsville, and there might be a new couple forming on the horizon…any ideas who?**


	5. Secret's Out

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Pretty Little Liars.**

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><p><em>November 2016: The Lovers Are Losing by Keane<em>

**H**eartbreak is never an easy thing. Ezra Fitz always believed that holding onto something, holding onto Aria made him stronger. His feelings for her anchored him, tied him to something tangible, kept him on the path that he'd laid out for himself at the young age of twenty. He'd never been a guy who wanted to live the bachelor lifestyle. He wanted a wife, two kids, a black lab named Sherlock, and a house just outside of the city—and all by the time he was thirty. Now, as Ezra sat alone at Starbucks, pounding out his latest short story on his laptop and scalding his tongue with each sip of his caramel latte, he realized that holding on made you weaker—holding on brought the heartbreak. Letting go, what should've been the easy part yet proved to be the hardest, was what made you stronger.

But it'd been three weeks since he'd kissed Aria at the nightclub, and it was one week until his thirtieth birthday, and he didn't feel the least bit stronger—hence why he was running on a completely unhealthy combination of blueberry scones, gulping down round four of caramel lattes, and practically living on the couch at the coffee shop. He couldn't stand being at the apartment. Aria went out of her way to avoid him, getting up earlier, arriving home later, spending far more time locked in her room than could possibly be normal, and when she wasn't home ignoring him, she was out with _that guy_—the one that she'd been dancing with the night of the engagement party.

His name was Will Covington. Ezra had had to find that out via Paul of course because Aria wasn't speaking to him unless it was absolutely necessary; she didn't deem telling him her new boyfriend's name important. He'd been a classmate of hers, and was also working for the New York Times, although he'd been drafted into the sports section. And appropriately so, Ezra thought, for if there was one adjective to describe Will it was athletic.

Six foot one, blonde, and tan, Aria's new boyfriend was "sex-on-legs", or so Hanna had coined him. But as much as Ezra hated the man, for no other reason than taking Aria away from him, he could see the similarities between Will and the Ralph Lauren Models that leered at him from the windows of Macy's as he walked to work every morning.

Amongst it all though, amongst the sadness and anger, the love and the alienation, Ezra found that he didn't regret his actions. Those brief moments on the dance floor had been precious, and so long as he didn't think about the ending, Ezra could pretend that things had gone perfectly—at least while he was sitting alone at Starbucks.

* * *

><p><strong> H<strong>anna Marin needed a girl's night, and fast. She loved her fiancé dearly, but if he muttered one more thing about how pointless picking out linens seemed, and how he didn't really care what the cake looked like, provided it tasted good, she might do something she'd regret. Which is why, upon Aria's arrival home just after six on the evening of November 9th, she snatched up her Prada handbag and drug her best friend right back out the door.

"What the hell, Hanna?"

Aria folded her arms across her chest and glared at her best friend as she was shoved into the elevator.

"We're going out. I need a break from all the testosterone in the apartment."

"I have a date with Will in less than an hour."

"Not anymore you don't. Call and tell him that something came up, alright? Besides, you've had dinner with him what, three times this week? I need you too, Aria."

Aria sighed heavily and reached into her purse for her phone. When Hanna set her mind to something there was no getting out of it, and unfortunately her date night with Will was about to suffer because of it.

** H**alf an hour later, as Aria sank her fork into a delightfully fluffy piece of strawberry cheesecake she found herself thanking Hanna, at least mentally anyway, that she'd dragged her off for the night. It was good to spend time with a girl and chat about mindless things—the week's new trend, what had happened and _Khloe & Lamar _the night before, who was now dating who, etc. It was all trivial; completely mind numbing, and exactly what Aria needed after a long week of work and late nights. And, as she listened to Hanna rant about Paul's passive approach to the wedding, Aria realized that she too probably needed a break from men.

Will Covington was fantastic. The quintessential southern boy, he'd been raised with charm as sweet as honey, and manners as flawless as fine silk. It also didn't hurt that he was devastatingly handsome, could carry on an intelligent conversation, and, although she'd never admit it to anyone else, he came from money. And most importantly of all, he wasn't a thing like Paul.

But Aria wasn't certain if it was his perfection that drew her to him, or his appearance at the right moment. Paul had been lost to her forever that night, and she'd been shocked by Ezra's kiss, hurt by it, and more than anything else completely confused by the emotions it stirred within her. It'd been so wrong to cross the line between friendship and love, and yet nothing had ever felt more right. She snorted as the cliché line flitted across her inner monologue and Hanna looked at her questioningly.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I just zoned out there for a moment. Now what were you saying about Paul?"

"He's just been kind of blasé about this whole wedding thing. He doesn't care about flowers, or place settings, or favors."

"Well he's guy Hanna, what'd you expect?"

She shrugged and pushed around the remnants of graham cracker crust on her plate. "I don't know. I just thought he'd be more into it, you know? It's his wedding too."

Aria popped another bite of cheesecake into her mouth before replying. "Again, he's a guy Hanna. Trust me; the only thing he cares about is seeing you at the end of the aisle." Her gaze traveled over towards the window of the small diner and she watched New Yorkers bustle by with shopping bags clutched in their hands.

The lack of pain she felt when she spoke about Paul was surprising. She thought she'd been lying when she told Ezra three weeks ago that she didn't love Paul. But as the days wore on and she grew more involved with Will, Aria was shocked to discover that Ezra had been right all along, which was another thing she'd never admit to anyone. She'd loved the idea of Paul, and the school girl crush she'd had on him had developed into a fixation on the idea of him.

"Should I marry Paul?"

Aria's fork clattered to her plate and her heart leapt to her throat. "What did you just say?"

"I said," Hanna bit her lip anxiously and glanced down at her lap for a moment before meeting Aria's stare again, "do you think I should marry Paul?"

Aria couldn't explain the strange foreign excitement welling inside her, and she felt terrible for even entertaining the idea the Hanna would break things off with Paul. "Why are you asking that?"

"I don't know." Hanna sighed heavily and took a long drink of her water.

"There must be some reason."

"I just—do you think I'm settling? Paul's really the only serious long term boyfriend I've had. We've been together for more than four years now, what if I missing something? What if I'm missing someone?"

Part of Aria wanted to tell Hanna that her doubts were right, that Paul may not be the one for her, but the best friend in Aria, the responsible part urged her to tell Hanna that she was simply experiencing a bout of cold feet—and she did.

"Hanna, don't be silly, you love Paul."

"I know but…"

"You love him, and I'm almost positive that you can't imagine spending the rest of your life with anyone else."

"Thanks, Aria." Hanna settled back into the cheap vinyl of the diner seat and arched an eyebrow at Aria suggestively. "So now that we've established that I'm just getting a bit freaked out by this whole commitment thing, it's your turn. What's up with you and Ezra?"

Aria shook her head. "Nothing."

"Liar. The two of you barely talk anymore, and I can't ever remember you fighting with him before. What gives?"

Aria played with the crumbs her my plate. "He kissed me."

Hanna's jaw dropped open and she gave a little squeal of delight. "I knew it! He's totally got the hots for you."

"There are absolutely no _hots_ between us Hanna."

"Wait, when did this happen?"

"At your engagement party."

"And I missed it? How?"

"Well, it wasn't like it was a full blown make out session or anything. Besides, I ended it as soon as he started."

"Aria, I'd never thought I'd say this, but you're an idiot."

Aria frowned at her. "It was completely inappropriate Hanna. We're just friends, and now," Aria gulped, "now I'm afraid that we'll never be able to get back to where we were."

"No, probably not. But you guys could be so much more then you were."

"Aren't you forgetting something? A) Ezra's my best friend; b) I'm dating Will."

Hanna shrugged. "Technicalities."

Aria rolled her eyes. As if on cue, her phone buzzed on the table top she glanced down to find Will's face flashing on the screen. "I'm going to take this. I'll see you back at the apartment later."

"Wait, Aria, I didn't mean to make you mad."

"Forget it, Hanna." Aria slid out of the booth, clicked talk on her phone, and left Hanna sitting alone in the booth.

* * *

><p><strong> P<strong>aul Fitz hated fighting, which was hypocritical really, considering his track record with Hanna. And worse than the screaming matches, he hated the silent fighting—those disputes that were never resolved because neither party was willing to take the first step towards reconciliation. Aria and Ezra were both doing that right now. He wasn't really sure what'd caused the rift between them, although his money was on Will. The timing fit right. It'd been three weeks since Aria had started dating her fellow journalist, and three weeks since his brother and his best friend had stopped speaking to one another. Tonight, with Aria out of the house, Paul was going to get to the bottom of it. It was too hard living in an apartment where he became the messenger between the two.

Ezra rolled up just after seven; laptop tucked under one arm and a copy of _To Kill a Mockingbird _the other.

"Where've you been?"

"Starbucks. I'm working on a new short story."

"Any female antagonists?"

Ezra frowned and set his laptop on the kitchen table. "Not funny. Speaking of which, where are the girls?"

Paul shrugged. "They went out about an hour ago. Hanna claimed she need _'girl time'_." He made quotation marks with his fingers as he spoke and Ezra laughed.

"Does that mean we're having guy time?"

Paul shook his head. "Nope, we're having intervention time. You're going to tell me what's going on between you and Aria. I'm sick of being messenger boy whenever you two _have _to communicate."

"There's nothing going on between us." Ezra peeled off his jacket and sat down on the couch.

"Well, yeah. I got that part. You guys aren't even acknowledging that the other exists."

Ezra rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and looked at his brother for a moment before speaking. "I kissed her. She freaked. End of story."

"Wait, you kissed her?"

"Yup."

"When?"

"At the engagement party."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I guess I'm not the type of person who puts things-that-didn't-work-out on their resume."

"Fair enough. What do you mean she freaked?" Paul sat down in one of the arm chairs and propped his feet up on the coffee table.

"I mean she clammed up, told me we were just friends, and then she walked away."

"Ouch."

Ezra shot his brother a glare. "Not helping bro."

"Sorry. So did you have some kind of falling out?"

"Nope, we just haven't talked."

"Because it's awkward or because you're upset?"

Ezra's head shot up and he threw a pillow at Paul. "What is this, Dr. Phil?"

Paul grinned. "Yeah."

"I'm mad, and hurt, and I just don't even want to think about it. She's just so stubborn, and now she's dating him."

"He does have a name Ezra."

"Shut up. I honestly think we're done for good—if it's possible for best friends to be done. I have to move on—I've spent four and a half years pining over someone who's in love with someone else."

"Don't you want to at least try and—wait, what did you say?"

"That I'm moving on. I'm almost thirty—I can't be a bachelor forever."

"No, after that. She's in love with someone else?"

"You."Ezra regretted it the minute he said it. With one simple slip of the tongue he'd betrayed Aria's biggest secret. She'd trusted him with it, only him, and he'd told someone, Paul no less, about it. "Shit."

"You're wrong."

"I'm not. Can you seriously be so thickheaded as not to notice? She's been in love with you since high school."

"You're making that up."

"Paul—you know what never mind. I'm going to shower. Can we just forget this conversation ever happened?"

Paul nodded. "Yeah, whatever."

Ezra managed a grim smile and headed towards the bathroom, cursing himself for what he'd just done, and praying that Paul never breathed a word of what he'd said to anyone.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, damn. Looks like Ezra let the cat out of the bag. Think Paul will mention it? Or will he do as Ezra said and forget the conversation ever happened? More importantly, will Aria and Ezra ever reconcile—I did warn about Splitsville, and about a new couple. Reviews are wonderful, and I love hearing from all of you!**


	6. Love Drunk

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, well I still don't own Pretty Little Liars. All Rights belong to Sara Shepard and ABC Family. **

_December 2016: Center of Attention by: Jackson Waters_

***Opening Sentence from Sex and the City**

* * *

><p><em><strong>D<strong>espite the fact that there are over eight million people on the island of Manhattan, there are times when you still feel shipwrecked and alone. _And as the days following his confession to Paul turned into weeks, Ezra began to feel just that way—alone and drifting through life. Though Paul kept what he knew of Aria's feelings to himself, and he treated her the same as he always had, he distanced himself from Ezra. Aria was no different. The rift between the two of them continued to grow, and though he'd been certain that he'd never regret his kiss, as Christmas approached he realized that he did—even if it was just a tiny little bit.

Of course, Ezra couldn't claim that he was going out of his way to fix things with Aria. It was easier to just avoid her, to avoid going home until late at night when he was certain that she was either out with Will or had gone to bed. Anything was easier than confrontation.

There'd been a few times when he'd come close to it however. First, when he, after weeks of being urged by Hanna, had agreed to go to dinner with her, Paul, Aria, and Will. He'd nearly strangled the latter at dinner. That same thought that'd haunted him for years—_it should be me—_rolled around in his head throughout the entire meal. Watching Aria be touched by Will, a kiss to the forehead, a soft caress against her shoulders, a small squeeze to her hand, was physically painful. Ezra left before dessert.

The second came when Hanna flew home the week before Christmas. Paul was stuck in a class, so Aria and Ezra had gone with Hanna to the airport, more out of the necessity to help her cart her bags to check-in than to actually say goodbye. Though all four of them were planning to spend the holidays in Rosewood, Hanna had wanted to go home earlier. She claimed, at least to the guys, that it was because she and her mother had wedding preparations to make. Aria knew differently. Hanna, even after several reassurances, was still tossing around the idea of her engagement to Paul. She was certain she loved him, but lifetime commitment scared her—after her parent's nasty split, she didn't believe in divorce.

"It's all or nothing, Aria," she'd said. "If we get married it's forever, and forever's a really, really, really long time."

Ezra and Aria left the airport as soon as Hanna had cleared security, and neither was thrilled at the prospect of driving the forty minutes back to the apartment together. They hadn't been alone with one another in more than a month. Hell, they'd barely seen each other at all.

The ride to the airport had been easy enough. Hanna had chattered aimlessly the whole time, as she was wont to do, Ezra drove and did his best to ignore Aria, and Aria did her best to ignore Ezra. It was awkward to say the least, because both refused to look at the other, and worse than that, it was completely immature.

Heading home however, was far more uncomfortable. With Hanna gone, the car seemed too quiet, and there was only so much _Jingle Bell Rock_ Ezra could take before he leaned over and punched the power button to off on the radio.

"Hey, I was listening to that!"

He glanced over at Aria and rolled his eyes. "It's the third time they've played that song in the past hour. Besides, you hate Christmas music."

"Maybe I like it now."

"Aria you've never liked it."

She huffed and folded her arms across her chest. "Well, I do now."

"Would you cut the attitude out? I haven't done anything."

They lapsed into silence, the soft hum of the heater the only noise in the car. Ezra sighed heavily as traffic rolled to a stop—again. At the rate they were going the normally forty minute ride would take more than an hour. His gaze drifted over towards Aria again, and even in his frustration he couldn't help but smile softly as he watched her.

Eyes closed, her dark lashes rested gently on alabaster cheeks, flushed the slightly from the heat. Her lips were parted slightly, and she absently fiddled with a locket hanging around her neck. Feeling rather self-satisfied, Ezra realized that it was the locket he'd given her two Christmases ago—one with an engraved mockingbird on one side and her initials on the other.

"I miss you, Ezra." The words were whispered softly, the sound of them nearly lost amidst the chaos of city traffic. Her eyes flew open, their deep green hue shocking him as it every time. She dropped the locket and bit her lip nervously. "I said that out loud, didn't I?"

Ezra nodded and turned his stare back towards the traffic, inching along a few more feet before they came to a stop again.

"Are you going to say anything?"

He sighed heavily and ran one hand through his hair. "I miss you too, Aria. It feels like I haven't had my best friend with me in months."

She glanced at him and made a pitiful attempt at a smile. "Yeah, I guess we haven't really talked in awhile, have we?"

"Awhile?" He scoffed and turned into the parking deck of their apartment. "Aria, we haven't acknowledged each other since October."

"I'm sorry; I've just been busy with-"

"With Will, I know. But I'm not sorry, Aria..." He parked and took the keys out of the ignition before turning to face her. "I don't regret what I did that night."

"Ezra, Will and I broke up two weeks ago."

"Why did you—never mind, that's not important right now. What matters is that we didn't do anything wrong. The only thing wrong right now is you acting like I committed a crime or something."

"And I said I'm sorry. I just want my best friend back Ezra."

"Yeah, well I'm not sure if we can go back to the way things were."

Her brow furrowed in pained confusion and her voice trembled lightly as she spoke. "What are you saying?"

He groaned and stared at her for a few moments. "Aria, things have changed. You have to accept that. And I'll always care about you, I'll always be here for you—but you and I can't ever be what we were again."

"Why the hell not?"

He opened the car door and looked her one last time before climbing out. "I don't want to argue with you Aria. Maybe in time we can work things out, but for now let's just be civil to each other. I don't think I can handle much more than that."

Ezra didn't want to see her cry, especially not when he was the one responsible for her tears. He didn't turn away quick enough however, and as he slid out of the car the first tear rolled down her cheek.

* * *

><p><strong>A<strong>ria had pulled herself together by the time she entered the apartment, a smear of mascara beneath her left eye the only sign that things weren't entirely right. Paul wasn't home yet, and Ezra had left a terse note attached to the fridge stating that he'd gone out to the gym and not to expect him back until late that night. She sighed heavily and dumped her purse on the kitchen counter before heading back towards her bathroom to shower.

The hot shower didn't bring the relief she'd hoped for. Sure, the scalding water felt wonderful on her sore and cold muscles, but the steam didn't provide the clarity to her emotions she'd been hoping for. More than anything she was confused; confused about Will, confused about Paul, confused about Ezra.

The last one was the real kicker. His kiss had forced a wedge between them, but it had also created a cloud of uncertainty that hung over her at all times. It'd been so wrong, yet she couldn't help but let a small part of her, the part that wasn't rational, argue that nothing had ever felt more right. Will had kissed her plenty of times during their short-lived romance, but none measured up to the brief brush of Ezra's lips upon her own.

That'd been the reason she'd broken things off with Will. It wasn't fair to lead him on when she knew things would never go anywhere between the two of them. And the feelings Ezra's kiss had evoked was also why she'd distanced herself from her best friend. It was easier not to complicate things.

With a sob of frustration she cut off the water and stepped out of the shower. Somehow though, things were more complicated than they'd ever been before. Hanna's insecurities about her relationship with Paul weren't helping Aria sort things out either. So, along with her reluctance to admit that Ezra stirred something within her, she was also struggling to deny the hope that was growing with each tear Hanna shed.

And she felt terrible for all of it—for leading Will on, for hurting Ezra, for letting her heart betray Hanna's trust in her. Shaking her head, she slipped into her robe and opened the bathroom door. It was all a big mess, and Aria wanted nothing more than to crawl in bed and forget it all. She was about to too, when her cell phone rang. Groaning, she hit talk and brought it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Are you okay?"

She only barely managed to suppress another groan as she realized it was Paul.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just got home from taking Hanna to the airport."

"Did she exceed the weight limit on her suitcase?"

Aria giggled. "Nope, she missed by four ounces."

"Good. So listen, there's this new club opening up downtown tonight, and I figured that the three of us could go out tonight. Things have been pretty tense at the apartment lately."

"Tell me about it. But I'd love to go."

"Is Ezra there? I tried to call him, but he didn't answer."

She bit her lip and glanced towards the living room. "No, he left earlier. He said he wouldn't be home until late."

"Oh, well I guess it's just me and you tonight, kiddo."

Aria hated herself at that moment as her heart sped up and her cheeks flushed. _Just she and Paul for an entire night. _It was a heady thought, and she readily found herself agreeing without a second thought towards anything else.

"Alright, me and you it is. Are you coming home first or do you want me to meet you there?"

"Just meet me there. I've got some errands to run anyway. I'll text you the address. We'll meet up say, eleven?"

"Eleven's good. I'll talk to you later, Paul."

"See you tonight, Aria."

She hung up the phone and flopped back on the bed, a large grin splitting her lips. It was almost like a real date with him. _No_, she thought, _it's not a date. It's just two friends having drinks. He's engaged to your best friend, remember?_

* * *

><p><strong> A<strong>ria Montgomery was like Hanna Marin in several respects. They liked hot chocolate better than coffee, preferred Gossip Girl to CSI, only ate Chinese food from Wong's on First, and rarely had more than two or three drinks at a time.

Tonight however, Aria felt like being different. For once in her life she didn't want to fall under the category of _just-like-Hanna_. She wasn't sure if it was the buzz of the crowd, the buzz of having Paul to herself, or the buzz of the four shots she'd taken that made her so bold, made her so unlike her usual self; though if she had to bet on one of the three, she'd take the last one.

She doesn't get drunk very often, and as such she can't hold her liquor too well. Her speech isn't slurred and her movements aren't sloppy but she definitely feels lightheaded, and everything seems ten times more amplified than it actually is. The music is too loud, the lights too bright, the bodies moving against her too many.

"Can we get out of here?"

It takes her three times to catch Paul's attention over the din of the crowd, but when he finally hears her he nods. Taking her hand firmly in his, Paul snags their coats off their hooks by the door and leads her out into the cold December night.

It's flurrying out, but even with the bright yellow taxis whizzing by and the throng of people crowding the sidewalk, the atmosphere still feels magical—or maybe it's just the alcohol talking—she can't really be sure.

Paul flagged down one of those cabs and it pulled alongside the curb. He opened the door and helped Aria in before sliding in after. She couldn't help but muse on how nice it felt to have someone look after her; to know that when she has had too much there's someone to make sure that she gets home in one piece. Of course there's always been someone. There's always been Ezra, but she won't think about him now—thinking about him hurts too much. Instead, she lets her forehead fall against the cool glass of the cab window and thinks of how wonderful it is to have spent the night with Paul.

"How about one more drink?"

She glances over at Paul as he speaks, surprised to find that he hasn't had nearly as many drinks as she has.

"Sure, but could we go somewhere…less busy?"

He nods and gives the driver the address to a bar a few streets over. Aria knows it well. It was their favorite haunt when they were in college. It's got a jukebox, dim lighting, and is very low key. And as she expected there aren't too many other customers at two-thirty in the morning.

Aria found a booth in the back and watched as Paul got two beers from the bartender.

"Good news, these are one the house." He grinned and sat down on the cracked leather cushion across from her.

"Must be our lucky night."

"Yeah. They're even playing our song."

Aria cocked her head to one side to listen and sure enough the notes of Bon Jovi's _Living on a Prayer _were drifting out of the old jukebox in the corner. " I haven't heard this in forever." She hummed the chorus for a few seconds before glancing back over at Paul.

"Thanks for tonight. I needed it."

He sighed. "Yeah, I did too. This wedding planning stuff is crazy, and I hate that you and Ezra…"

"Can't we talk about something else?"

His face fell briefly and then he grinned again. "Fine. So why don't you tell me what's in that box you put under the Christmas tree for me a few days ago?"

She giggles and shakes her head. "Not a chance. You can wait like everyone else." And as she watched him smirk at her from across the table, his eyebrow raised as he muttered something about how he'd get it out of her eventually, Aria can't help but feel that it's their lucky night indeed.

**L**ast call was at four and as Aria shrugged on her coat, she couldn't help but move slowly. She didn't feel ready for the night to end. Paul was still energetic however, and drug her back out onto the sidewalk to find another cab.

The streets were empty this time around, and the only real light came from the lampposts lining the sidewalk.

"It's freezing out here!" Aria shoved her hands into her pockets and buried her nose into the wool of her scarf.

"At least the snow stopped."

A cab pulled up to the corner and the two of them piled in, both of them sighing softly as the warmth of the heater assaulted them.

"Where to?"

Paul gave the driver the address of the apartment and then settled back onto the seat. "Tomorrow's going to be hell."

"Mhm." Aria turned her gaze away from him to stare out the window, searching for something to distract her from the growing ache she'd begun to feel.

They rode in silence for five or ten blocks, until the cab hit a pothole and Aria was thrown up against Paul.

"Sorry."

And then he was kissing her, or she was kissing him. Aria's mind went blank, forgetting in the rush of Paul's lips against hers that he's engaged to Hanna and that he isn't Ezra.

* * *

><p><strong> T<strong>hey're still kissing when the cab drops them off in front of the apartment building. Paul drew back for only a moment to hand the driver a twenty before reclaiming Aria's lips. He wasn't thinking either, wasn't thinking about the consequences of his actions or the promises that he's already broken.

It's cold and Aria's warm as she takes Paul's hand and steps out of the cab. They kiss on the elevator, against the door of the apartment as she struggled to find her key, and finally all the way to his bedroom.

Aria broke away with a gasp as he shuts the bedroom door behind him. "Paul, this isn't…"

His lips meet hers again and she forgets everything she's about to say.

"Are you drunk?"

Paul pushed her coat off her shoulders and kicked it aside as it hit the floor.

"No." She whispered as her hands found their way beneath the black Henley he was wearing. But that's always what you say when you're drunk, you claim that you're not.

"Good."

He moved her towards the bed, laughing slightly as she pulled him down with her. "You're wearing too many clothes."

Five minutes later, Aria got the one thing she'd always wanted, and lost the only thing that ever truly mattered, for two rooms down the hall, Ezra Fitz heard her cries of pleasure and swore that he'd never let himself get involved with her again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Even I didn't see that one coming. **


	7. A New Year

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: Even after the uproar of last chapter, the rights to Pretty Little Liars have not been sold to me…darn.**

* * *

><p><em>January 2017: Soul Mate by Natasha Bedingfield<em>

**N**ew York City had always been vibrant to Aria. Its bumper to bumper traffic, crowded sidewalks, and ever-lit-up, sky scraping buildings made her hometown of Rosewood, Pennsylvania seem pale in comparison. That was part of the reason she'd chosen NYU. New York's label as the city of opportunity, cliché as it was, drew her in and held her. Now, after living there for four years she couldn't ever imagine wanting to leave it. And the city never seemed more alive than on New Year's Eve when millions descended upon Times Square.

On Friday, December 31st, the thermometer topped out at just above twenty six degrees. But, crammed as she was between Hanna and one hundred other people, she didn't really feel the cold. In fact, she felt warm for the first time in more than three weeks.

After making the horrid mistake of sleeping with Paul, she'd become even more withdrawn. Ezra wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. Paul was tentative, speaking to her only when necessary. And Hanna, who still remained the dark about the transgression between her best friend and her fiancé, was confused as to why relationships in the apartment had gone sour.

Aria was, of course, entirely to blame. She'd woken up the morning after making the biggest mistake of her life to an empty bed and a massive hangover. Paul was seated in an armchair across from the bed, freshly showered and completely clothed. His face looked like that of a man twice his age, with a frown permanently fixed to his lips and his brow furrowed in regret.

"Hey, there's some water and Advil on the table beside you."

Aria managed a wan smile and tossed back the two capsules gratefully. "Thanks. My head's killing me."

He nodded and leaned forward, his hands clasping together and resting lightly on his knees. "I think we need to talk about last night."

"Yeah." She sat up and clutched the sheet tightly to her chest. "We do."

"I feel terrible."

"Paul, it's not just your fault. We were both drunk."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I wasn't drunk."

Aria's mouth fell open and dread washed over her. If he hadn't been drunk, that meant he wanted to sleep with her. And in the harsh light of morning, she realized that sleeping with him wasn't all it was cracked up to be, that the thing she'd longed for for years had been oddly unsatisfying.

"Then why…never mind. It doesn't really matter. But what are we going to do?"

He stood up and began pacing in front of the bed, his arms folded across his chest and his lip caught between his teeth as he thought. "We're going to forget this ever happened."

"What about Hanna?"

Paul froze and stared at Aria. "She can't find out. Aria, I love her too much. I can't lose her."

His face reflected the desperation of his statement and Aria nodded slowly in agreement. "Alright, Paul, if that's what you want."

"It's what I want."

He turned to leave the bedroom, but paused to glance back at her one last time before turning the doorknob. "And Aria?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"Me too, Paul. Me too."

He left and Aria fell back onto the bed, a sob catching in her throat and tears burning her eyes. And she was sorry. Sorry for betraying the trust of her best friend. Sorry for potentially ruining yet another friendship. But most of all, she was sorry that she'd wasted nearly five years of her life on something that didn't seem at all important now. Like a blow to the gut, she realized that Ezra had been right all along. She'd never loved Paul. If she had, last night would've been the best night of her life, regardless of circumstance, instead of the worst.

With a groan, she rolled out of bed and tugged her dress from the night before back over her head. The silk was wrinkled from lying in a heap on the floor all night, and after glancing in the mirror, she wasn't shocked to find that she didn't look much better. She ran a hand through her rumpled hair, and trudged out into the hallway, grateful both that Paul had already left, and that the apartment was quiet.

She'd hoped that Ezra would be gone too, but he was sitting on the couch when she entered the living room. His eyes met hers for the briefest moment, and she fought off a fresh onslaught of tears as he looked at her coldly. Even with the relative distance between them over the past few months he'd never been detached from her—now though, it was like he was staring right through her.

"Ezra…"

He shook his head and jumped off the couch, his footsteps heavy as he left the apartment, and slammed the door behind him.

Then, with no one left at home to witness her breakdown, Aria crumpled to the floor of the living room and let her tears fall.

* * *

><p><strong> C<strong>hristmas, the time of being with the ones you loved, didn't improve the situation. The three of them flew back to Rosewood together, but Aria had never been so relieved to say goodbye to the Fitz's as she was when her parents picked her up at the airport. She wouldn't have to see Paul or Ezra again until Christmas day, and for the moment that was enough.

But when Christmas day did come, Aria still didn't feel ready. She went though, along with her parents and younger brother to have dinner at the Fitz household. Hanna was there, and for the first time since she'd slept with Paul, the implication of what she'd done truly hit her. Aria had had sex with her best friend's fiancé, and nothing could ever change that. She felt ill through most of dinner, and felt even worse when Ezra refused to acknowledge her presence more than the bare minimum.

Everyone picked up on the tension amongst the two, and all night Aria struggled to stave off questions from her mother about what was going on.

"Don't worry about it," she'd said. "Everything's fine."

Reality was though, everything was far from fine.

* * *

><p><strong>A<strong>mongst the crowds of jubilant people, Aria could forget that she'd been numb for nearly a month, could forget that she'd lost two friends in that time period, and if the third ever found out what she'd done, she'd lose her too. It was eleven-thirty now, and with only half an hour left until the ball drop, the excitement continued to grow.

"This is crazy, isn't it?"

Hanna nodded eagerly and smiled at Aria. "Yeah, it is. Aren't you cold?"

Aria shook her head. "Not really. You?"

"Freezing." She clapped her gloved hands together in an effort to restore some warmth.

"Where are the guys?"

"I don't know. They went to go get us coffee a while ago; should be back soon."

As if on cue, Ezra and Paul appeared amidst the crowd, each of them sporting neon-colored, glittery 2017 glasses and carrying two cups of coffee.

Paul handed one to Hanna she kissed him on the cheek in thanks. "You're a life saver."

Ezra gave Aria a Styrofoam cup, but the minute she thanked him he turned away. Paul and Hanna looked at her sadly, before turning back to each other. Suddenly, Aria felt lonely and she was sick of being ignored.

"Ezra."

No response.

"Ezra."

Still nothing.

She placed a hand on his jacket on he jerked away. "What do you want?"

Aria shrank away at the harsh note in his voice and blinked rapidly a few times to hold back tears. "Nothing, never mind. Just…umm happy New Year."

"Yeah, you too." He glanced away again, and focused his attention on the ball hanging nearly three hundred feet above them.

Aria sighed heavily and sipped on her coffee quietly. This was definitely not going to be a good year, she could feel it already. For days she'd been considering moving out on her own. It seemed like the right thing to do, all things considered, and now with her job at the New York Times going well, she could afford it.

She wandered away from the group to toss her cup away and snap a few pictures on her phone to send to her parents later. By the time she made it back to her friends, the countdown had begun.

Ten…nine…eight…

Aria wormed her way back between Hanna and Ezra, a large smile curving on her lips as she watched the ball light up and begin its descent downward.

Seven…six…five…

Beside her, Hanna was pulled into an embrace by Paul and their foreheads rested against the others waiting for a midnight kiss. Aria wrapped her arms tightly around herself; being alone sucked.

Four…three…two…

Suddenly, she was pulled into someone's arms and being kissed.

One!

Cheers went up around her, but Aria didn't hear them, for as her hands found their way into curly hair, she realized that it was Ezra holding her, Ezra kissing her, and she'd never been happier.

Breathless, she pulled away and stared at him in awe. "Ezra, I…"

"Shh." And then he was kissing her again, and nothing had ever felt more right.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of clinging to him, he released her. "Don't say anything. " He pressed a finger to her lips. "We'll figure it all out later. Let's just be here tonight, alright?"

She nodded and smiled up at him. "Alright." He wrapped her in his arms once more, and Aria stood up on tiptoe to press her lips to his again. And all she could think about was how she'd ever managed to find him too tall.


	8. Happy Birthday To Me

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, you get the idea. **

**CazHopkinson: There will be absolutely NO pregnancies of any sort in this story. **

**Iceyhearted: All those questions will be answered in this chapter or the next.**

* * *

><p><em>February 2017: You Could Be Happy by Snow Patrol<em>

**T**here's this crazy concept out there that we're not really responsible for the course our lives take, that everything's predestined and written in the stars. Well, in New York City you can't see the stars and Aria Montgomery certainly didn't believe in fate. Life was what you made it, not what made you. But as she'd stood beneath the fireworks and amidst millions of people on New Year's Eve, she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps she'd been wrong to doubt destiny. For being with Ezra Fitz seemed like it was the only option there'd ever been; there could never be another guy for her, could never be another set of arms to hold her tightly so perfectly.

Aria was cynical by nature, she'd seen too many marriages fall to bitter pieces, seen too many great couples drift apart to believe in the idea of soul mates. Yet with each passing day, and each new moment shared with Ezra she began to shed her pessimism in favor of a new romanticized outlook.

Of course, the transition from one extreme to the other was gradual. She blamed it entirely on the passionate speech he'd given her New Year's Day after they met for breakfast at a little café just down the street from the apartment.

Aria had sat across from him at a small wooden table, sipping quietly on her hot chocolate, and struggling to find a way to ask him all the questions that needed to be answered.

Finally, she settled on one word: "why?"

Ezra stared at her thoughtfully for a moment before setting down his cup of coffee. "Because it felt right."

She nodded; it had felt right. Reaching across the table, she loosely interlocked their fingers and smiled gently. "So where do we stand now?"

He shrugged and she felt the same. It was hard to define the relationship between them—the kiss had definitely breached the boundary between platonic and romantic, but Aria didn't feel quite ready to jump into something serious.

"I don't know, but I'd like to find out. Let's just take things slow for awhile, fix our friendship first and then see what happens."

Aria grinned. "I'd like that a lot. I've missed you, Ezra."

"I've missed you too, Aria." He chuckled and she arched an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

"Ezra, come on! Do I have something on my face?"

He laughed again. "Actually, yes. There's a little bit of whipped cream right," he leaned across the table and brushed his thumb against the corner of her mouth, "here."

Ezra's smile faded from his face and was replaced by a look of tenderness. Suddenly, Aria realized that slow wasn't going to be an option, that their plan of taking things step by step, piece by piece, would soon be tossed out the window of the fourteenth floor apartment.

And sure enough, nine days later, slow turned into taking a leap of faith and giving into emotion. It was late on a Thursday night, Paul and Hanna were already in bed, and Ezra was stretched out on the couch marking essays. Aria was seated beside him, a book propped in her lap and a blanket curled over her legs.

"We should probably head to bed soon." Ezra capped his pen as he spoke, and he flicked off the lamp closest to him. "It's already almost one."

When Aria didn't answer, he glanced over at her and smiled softly when he realized she was asleep. He stacked his papers on the coffee table, before taking the book from her hand and placing it on the floor.

She groaned quietly when he picked her up, but didn't wake. Instead, one hand fisted in the material of his sweatshirt, and the other wrapped firmly around his neck. "Love you."

Her words were quiet and he was quite certain that she was dreaming. Nonetheless, the small phrase sent a throb through his heart and his grin grew broader. His lips brushed her temple. "I love you too, Aria."

Ezra lay her on her bed and tucked the quilt around her. She stirred as he began to pull away, and wrapped a hand around his arm to still him. "Stay."

"Aria, I…"

"Stay please?"

He nodded and climbed beneath the blankets, one arm settling heavily over her waist, the other cradling her head against his chest. In the dark, her lips found his gently, and he kissed her—breaking the promise that he'd keep his distance until they were both ready. Screw the idea of ready, he thought, I'm not letting any opportunity pass me by.

She broke away after a few minutes, her breathing ragged and her pulse fluttering wildly. "Wow. I can't believe I've been missing that for years."

He laughed and tugged her closer. "Yeah, me neither."

Minutes later, she settled her head back on his chest and drew his arms tighter around her. "Goodnight, Ezra."

"Goodnight, Aria."

* * *

><p><strong>F<strong>riday, February 10th, marked their one month anniversary as an official couple, and also the occasion of Ezra's thirtieth birthday. Aria had had it all planned out for more than a week. The two of them would go out to dinner, and then she'd drag him off to his favorite bar where Paul, Hardy, Hanna and several of his other friends would be waiting to surprise him. It was perfection—or at least it was until he mentioned one afternoon that he didn't want a big affair.

They'd been curled up on his bed one evening after work, Chinese takeout containers in their hands and _Rebel without a Cause_ flickering quietly on the TV.

"What do you want to do for your birthday?"

She popped another piece of sweet and sour chicken into her mouth before looking at him.

"I don't know, nothing big I suppose. Turning thirty isn't exactly something I want to celebrate."

Aria frowned and set her box of food on the nightstand. "Why not?"

Ezra chuckled and licked a bit a sauce from the lower corner of his lip. "Because thirty is not something you celebrate. It's like death. I'll officially be old."

"So?"

His eyebrows rose and he looked at her in mock shock. "So? Aria, this is the part where you're supposed to tell me that I won't be old, that I'm still young and exciting."

She giggled and took his container of Lo Mein from him. "Well, compared to me you are old. But," she set the box next to hers on the table and pushed him back so that he was laying on the mattress, "I still think you're exciting—don't worry I won't leave you the minute the clock strikes midnight. Besides, I don't think you'll suddenly shrivel up."

He reached up and wrapped a piece of hair that'd escaped her ponytail around his finger. "Comforting, Dr. Montgomery. But seriously, no big parties, no giant groups of friends, just you and me Friday night, alright?"

Somewhat hesitant, she eventually nodded and gave her consent. "Just you and me." And it would be just the two of them—for part of the night at least.

* * *

><p><strong> E<strong>zra chose a low key restaurant about fifteen minutes from the apartment for his birthday. It was quiet and relatively informal, and about as far from the club scene as possible. Hanna had been disappointed when Aria had informed her that there wouldn't be any night clubs involved in his birthday plans—she complained that by choosing something quiet Ezra was making himself old rather than the other way round.

Aria couldn't echo her friend's sentiments. She was honestly grateful that Ezra didn't want anything loud, for after dinner things would certainly take a sharp turn in that direction. Against her better judgment, and though she knew she might come to regret it, Aria chose to go ahead with the surprise party, but had compromised and trimmed the guest list down to twenty people. She simply refused to let Ezra's birthday pass by without some kind of celebration.

"What are you staring at?"

Aria jerked and dropped the makeup brush she'd been holding as Hanna entered the bathroom.

"Way to knock."

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. What were you thinking about? The look on your face was pretty intense."

Aria shrugged. "Tonight. What if he freaks out? He was pretty explicit when he said what he wanted."

"It'll be fine, you worry too much anyway."

"And you don't worry enough." She turned back towards the mirror and finished smoothing out her eye shadow.

"What are you wearing?" Hanna pointed towards the fuzzy robe Aria was wearing. "Because you can't go out like that."

"The outfit's on the bed." Aria applied two coats of mascara, then leaned back to survey her appearance in the mirror. Satisfied, she gave her curled hair one final tousle and put on one more coat of Chap Stick, before following Hanna into the bedroom.

"What do you think?" Aria pointed towards the dark wash skinny jeans, thin cream-colored sweater, and black stilettos that were laid out on her comforter.

"That you'll look hot."

Aria giggled and reached for the jeans. "Thanks, Han."

"So any big plans for after the party, Aria? Finally going to give it up to Fitz?"

Aria blushed at Hanna's lack of tact, and slipped the sweater over her head. "That's none of your business."

"Sure it is. We live together."

"Yeah, not seeing the logic there."

"Come on, Aria. I'm not asking for detail. I just want to know."

Aria shook her head and stepped to her shoes before glancing back at Hanna where she was seated on the edge of the mattress. "No, I'm not. It's too soon."

"See that wasn't so hard was it?" She hopped off the bed, and moved towards the door. "I'm going to hop in the shower. I'll meet up with you later tonight?"

"Yeah. Hey don't forget to pick up the cake."

"Sure. You look great by the way."

Aria smiled. "Thanks, Han." She slid her earrings into her ears, and then grabbed her gold clutch before heading out into the living room to meet Ezra.

The birthday boy was sitting on the couch with his brother, the two of them focused entirely on the video game that was on the TV. Aria cleared her throat twice before they finally looked up at her. Paul let out a low whistle and she grinned.

"Looking good, kiddo."

Ezra dropped the controller and punched his brother in the arm. "Lay off. She's my girlfriend not yours." Though his tone was light, Aria knew that Ezra was still incredibly defensive over the whole my-girlfriend-slept-with-my-brother-debacle.

"You look amazing, Aria." He stood and kissed her lightly. "I must be the luckiest guy in the world." He kissed her again, and then turned back to his brother. "Don't wait up, Pauly."

"Yeah, yeah." But his younger brother's attention had already drifted back to the video game.

"Ready to go, Miss Montgomery?"

"Lead the way, old man."

Ezra rolled his eyes and kissed her forehead briefly before taking her hand and tugging her out of the apartment.

* * *

><p><strong> D<strong>inner was the quiet affair Ezra had hoped for. Aria sat across from him, her face glowing beautifully in the candlelight, and her foot toying with his beneath the table. They spoke of light-hearted things—of his new promotion, of her latest article, of his new book. The waiter brought them a piece of cheesecake with a single candle in it for dessert, and much to Ezra's embarrassment the whole wait staff assembled and sang him Happy Birthday.

But watching Aria's face as they did so, watching her eyes light up and her lips curve and warm grin, he couldn't help but feel lucky. He was glad he'd made such a gutsy move New Year's Eve—because otherwise he had good feeling that he'd have spent his thirtieth birthday alone as a miserable bachelor.

"Thank you Aria, this was wonderful." He stood and helped her into her coat.

"You're welcome, and happy birthday."

Ezra smiled and kissed her slowly. "It is now."

"Why don't we get a drink somewhere? It's still early, and I'm not ready to head home just yet."

He nodded and buttoned up his own coat. "Sure. How about that place a few streets over from here? You know the one Hardy likes to practically live at."

Aria smiled and interlaced her gloved fingers with his. "Sounds perfect." And it was, for that was the exact place she'd chosen for his surprise party.

** T**hey arrived at the bar just after eight, and Aria sent a quick text to Hanna to let her know that they were on their way in. The moment Ezra stepped in through the front door, the large group of people assembled yelled surprise and moved to congratulate him.

He glanced down at Aria and arched an eyebrow at her. "I take it you had something to do with this?"

She shrugged and smiled as sweetly as possible. "Maybe?"

He laughed and slid an arm around her waist. "I should've known."

"So you aren't mad?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad?"

"Well you said you didn't want a party, but Ezra, I just couldn't let your birthday go by without…"

He silenced her with a quick kiss. "I'm not mad. Besides if I have to have a party, this is the kind I want." His eyes roamed over the crowd gathered, and he smiled as he realized that only his closest friends had been invited.

"Good. Happy Birthday, Ezra."

Aria grinned at him one last time before Hanna approached and drug her away. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure that Ezra hadn't bolted, but he was still standing near the entrance, a large grin on his face as he chatted with Hardy and Paul.

"Told you he wouldn't be upset."

"Yeah, so?"

"This is the part where you say 'Hanna you were right, and I'll never doubt you again.'"

"Not happening. Did you get the cake?"

"Yup, it's in the kitchen now. I figured we'd wait a half hour or so."

"That's fine." Aria unbuttoned her coat and sat down at the bar. "What do you want to drink, Hanna?"

* * *

><p><strong> A<strong>n hour later things had settled down, and people were mostly clustered into small groups talking with one another. The chocolate cake Aria had had made for Ezra had been cleared away, with leftovers wrapped up and set aside for a midnight snack. Aria had been stuck with Hanna all night, and when the opportunity came to finally came to slip away, she latched on to it and wandered over towards where Ezra, Hardy, and a few guys she didn't recognize stood talking.

"There you are, babe. I wondered where you'd run off to."

Aria smiled and wrapped her arms around Ezra's middle. "Hanna couldn't seem to shut up."

Ezra laughed and then introduced her to a few of the guys. She spoke with them for a few minutes, but was growing anxious to have Ezra to herself for a bit. Finally, as the conversation lulled briefly and she leaned up on tiptoe to whisper in his ear.

"I'm heading to the bathroom."

He nodded, but when she didn't pull away immediately he looked down at her questioningly. Aria winked and squeezed his arm once before moving away and heading towards the bathroom, her hips swinging just a little more than they normally did.

** S**he couldn't help but giggle as she let him into the bathroom a few minutes later. He was grinning and laughing too, mumbling something about how the guys had all commented on what she was up to.

"And what exactly are we up to?"

He shrugged and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I don't know. You tell me."

"I just wanted to talk to you. I feel like I haven't seen you all evening."

"Mmm." But he was already kissing her and she sighed happily as her hands fisted into his hair and he lifted her up onto the counter.

"Can't stay," another kiss, "gone too," and another, "long."

She didn't answer, but pulled him closer, one hand gripping his shoulder tightly, the other resting lightly on the back of his neck. "Happy Birthday."

He pulled away and grinned. "You've said that already…about hundred times."

She laughed. "I just like saying it." Her lips found his again and for a long moment they clung to each other. Aria didn't pull away until Ezra's hands slipped beneath the material of her shirt, and his fingers paused just below the lace of her bra.

"We can't."

His face fell, and his hands drew away from her. "Why not?"

"For one, we're in a bathroom. Secondly, I'm not ready."

"You were ready after a few drinks with Paul." He moved towards the door and folded his arms across his chest.

Aria's eyes flickered closed, both out of pain and shame. "What the hell does that mean?" She hated how upset she sounded, how much she let his words get to her.

"You know exactly what I mean."

"Are you calling me a slut? Because that's exactly what it sounds like." Her voice caught and tears burned her eyes. Aria hopped down from the counter and opened the door to the bathroom.

"No! Aria, wait…I didn't mean…"

"Yes, you did, Ezra. I'll see you back at the apartment."

She turned her heel and fled the bathroom, the door slamming shut behind her.

Ezra groaned and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. _Happy Birthday to him, indeed._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Ouch! Looks like soul mates may not last very long. **


	9. The Best Day

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 8**

**Nope…Pretty Little Liars still isn't mine.**

* * *

><p><em>March 2017: Powerful Stuff by Sean Hayes<em>

_**L**__ove isn't finding a perfect person. It's seeing an imperfect person perfectly. _Ezra Fitz had always scoffed at the idea that there wasn't a perfect person somewhere out in the world for him. There had to be, he reasoned, for if there wasn't someone perfect for him then what hope was there in trusting the concept of soul mates? But as he watched Aria thumb through a tattered copy of _Pride and Prejudice _one early March morning he wondered if perhaps he'd been wrong all along. Aria Montgomery certainly wasn't perfect. She was headstrong beyond stubbornness, often completely irrational, way too emotional, and in her opinion, _always_ right. Yet she was kind, and gentle, and brilliant, and funny, and loving, and beautiful. He saw her for what she was, the flaws and imperfections, the talents and the qualities. So no, Aria Montgomery wasn't a perfect person, but Ezra Fitz saw her perfectly as she was—and she was most certainly his soul mate.

"You're doing it again." Aria lowered her book and shifted on the window seat.

Ezra sat up a bit straighter in the armchair he'd claimed as his own at Abe's. It was well worn, the brown leather cracking at the seams, and the arm rests faded from years of constant touching, but it was by far the most comfortable seat in the entire book store. "Doing what?"

"Staring at me. I'm seriously beginning to wonder if there's something on my face that I can't see." She grinned and tossed the book down beside her. "What were you thinking about?"

"How beautiful you are."

She blushed and glanced away, her fingertips falling softly upon the cold glass of the windowpane and tracing the path of tiny rain droplets as they trickled down outside.

"How much I love you."

Aria smiled softly and shifted her gaze back towards him. "I'm glad we came back here."

He nodded. "Me too. There's not a bookstore better than this one in all of New York City."

"Of course the company isn't bad either." Aria leaned over and petted Abe's dog, who was curled up at her feet.

"No, the company's not bad either." He stood up and moved to sit beside her. She leaned against him, sighing softly as her back settled against his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders. "Thank you for this. We needed today."

Ezra smiled. They'd definitely needed the break. Wedding plans were in full swing back at the apartment, and their living room had been overrun by swatches Hanna had chosen for table clothes, napkins, and bridesmaid gowns. And he'd only just managed to gain her forgiveness for the horrible debacle of his birthday party. Ezra Fitz may have had a way with words, but only when they were on a written page. His mouth was an entirely different matter.

"I'm sorry."

Aria tilted her chin up the look at him, a small frown upon her lips. "For what?"

"Saying what I did the other night."

She groaned and brushed her lips across his knuckles. "Ezra, I've already told you that I forgive you. That must be the fiftieth time you've apologized to me."

"Well, I still feel terrible about it." The back of his hand brushed tenderly against her cheek, and she kissed his palm. "It was wholly uncalled for, and so stupid."

She laughed then and turned her face to look at him. He furrowed his brow and stared at her in confusion. "Why are you laughing?"

"Ezra, shut up." Aria arched her neck and kissed him swiftly.

He grinned and lowered his lips to hers again. "Gladly."

* * *

><p><strong> T<strong>hey drove back to the city late that afternoon. The heavy rain clouds that had loomed overhead all morning cleared away and revealed a bright blue spring sky and warm golden sun. Aria sang along quietly with the radio as they drove, and Ezra found that he had a new enjoyment for Sara Bareilles and The Script—provided he could hear Aria's voice.

"Let's get dinner. I'm starving."

He nodded and turned onto Sixth Avenue. "What do you want?"

She tilted her head thoughtfully to the side, and tapped her chin. "Well I don't know—how about burgers and shakes?"

Ezra laughed and shook his head. "I should've known. Do you ever not want a burger?"

"Nope."

"Burgers it is."

They stopped at a small hamburger joint a few blocks down from the apartment and ordered two cheeseburgers, two large fries, a vanilla shake for her, a root beer float for him, and two bottles of water to wash it all down with.

"So, I have good news."

"Oh?" She dipped a fry in ranch and then popped it in her mouth.

"Yeah, great news actually." He took a sip of his float and smirked at her.

"Well, what is it?"

"I take that back, it's better than great."

"Ezra, if you don't tell me, I'll…" She spluttered for a minute and finding no worthy threat settled on glaring at him over the rim of her shake glass.

"You'll what?" He laughed at the exasperated expression on her face and plucked the cherry off the top of her shake.

"Hey! That was mine."

He shrugged. "Should've eaten it faster." With a lazy grin, he shoved it into his mouth.

"I hate you."

Ezra chuckled, and reached across the table to take her hand. "Sure you do. You know, saying that would be a lot more believable if you weren't laughing while you did it."

Aria giggled. "Will you just tell me already?"

He sighed. "Fine, don't let me have my fun. HarperCollins called the other day."

"HarperCollins? As in the HarperCollins? As in most-famous-book-publisher-in-the-world HarperCollins?"

"The very same. They want to publish a collection of my short stories."

"You're kidding?"

He shook his head. "Nope. I nearly passed out when they called."

"That's amazing. Congratulations!" She leaned forehead and kissed him quickly. "I'm dating a soon-to-be-famous author."

"And I'm dating the most amazing girl in the entire world."

She rolled her eyes, but blushed nonetheless. "Come on, Romeo. We've got to get home. It's getting late."

They cleared away their trash and headed outside. Dusk had fallen, and rush hour had passed so the streets were fairly quiet, for New York anyway. Hand in hand they ambled along, with Aria pausing occasionally to point out something in a store window or, just because she felt like it, to kiss Ezra.

He wrapped his arm around her after a bit, both because it was getting chillier, and because he just wanted to have her near. She smiled, and pulled him into a small alcove beside a closed shop.

"Thank you again for today. It truly has been the best day." Arching up on her toes, she twined her arms behind his neck and kissed him slowly.

"You're welcome. I love you, Aria." His lips met hers again, and for a long moment they clung to one another.

When she finally broke away, she was breathless and her kiss swollen lips were curved in a grin. "I love you, too, Ezra."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Short and Cute and Fluffy and Harmless. Happy Monday!**


	10. Life's Darkest Moments

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 9**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars. All rights belong to Sara Shepard and ABC Family. **

**Crazyatbest: You'll get your full on fight soon, promise. **

_April 2017: Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol_

**S**ometimes it hits like a car crash—blinding, and jarring, and twisted. Sometimes, it's a bullet—swift, relatively painless, and straight to the point. Other times, it's peaceful—occurring without pain, without prior knowledge, without fear. But regardless of how it happens, death is always a bitter blow to those that live. It's gut wrenching, and tragic, and sickening, and brings even the strongest of people to their knees. It provides little closure, leaving behind only a why and a how—and there are times when even those questions can't be answered.

But when death is unexpected, when it knocks upon someone's door unexpectedly, it can be crippling. No one, no one sane anyway, walks through life thinking _I am going to die today. _No one rationalizes when and where they will die. Everyone assumes that they will live to a ripe old age, watch their children grow, and then their grandchildren. That's not how life works though.

Friday, April seventh, began normally enough—as most days do. The sun rose in the east, cabs honked and jammed the streets by eight am, and four unsuspecting young people set off for their jobs, each and every one of them completely unaware that come the next rush hour, their quartet would be down to a trio.

* * *

><p><strong> P<strong>aul Fitz considered himself luckier than most. He'd grown up in a good home, with loving parents and a supportive older brother. He'd gotten into medical school, was engaged to the most amazing girl on the planet, and was living quite comfortably on the fourteenth floor of an apartment complex in the Big Apple.

And that luck had never failed him, until that fateful April afternoon. His lunch break went routinely enough—chug a Gatorade, scarf down a sandwich, and head back to the emergency room for rounds. The life of a medical student certainly wasn't glamorous, but it was fascinating. He'd learned more in his five months at Mount Sinai then he had from reading the hundreds of textbooks his professors had given him. Each new day brought a new medical mystery, a new technique to learn, a new life to save.

That's why when a code blue came over his new pager; a jolt of excitement shot right through his nervous system, and sent a rush of adrenaline directly to his heart. Code blue meant critical. Code blue meant thinking on your feet and doing whatever it took to save a life. Code blue meant becoming someone's hero.

Paul rushed out to meet the ambulance with half a dozen other students and their mentor, Dr. Sanborn. He was still tying his scrubs when the vehicle pulled into the bay, and he reluctantly allowed a few of the others to rush past him and greet the paramedics.

"Too late…car crash…poor girl…cab's totaled…driver's just fine."

He only caught snippets of the conversation, but it was enough to let the heavy weight of death settle in the pit of his stomach. She hadn't even been a patient yet, but each human life lost was a precious gift that could never be brought back. Paul moved aside for them to wheel the stretcher by. Even after weeks of working in the E.R., the gore of accidents still sent him reeling and left his stomach churning. His eyes drifted down towards the ground, but a flash of light caught his gaze. He glanced up just in time to see the glitter of a diamond ring on the woman's left hand. It looked familiar, and as a lock of blonde hair whipped slightly in the wind he knew why—he'd picked it out himself. The girl from the car crash, the woman who'd arrived too late to save was Hanna.

"Wait!"

Everyone turned to look at him in surprise, and Dr. Sanborn placed a hand upon his shoulder.

"What is it, son?"

"Her name? Do you know what her name is?"

"No," said a paramedic, "that's what the next step is."

"Don't bother." Paul choked back a sob and moved towards the stretcher. "I already know who it is. Her name's Hanna, she's my fiancée."

* * *

><p><strong> T<strong>elling someone that they've lost a loved one is never an easy task. There's no manual of how to do it, no right way to phrase it, no one word that makes the tragedy any easier. But Paul Fitz, the lucky one, had been gifted with that task.

He was home by two that afternoon. He'd been sent home by Dr. Sanborn. "There's nothing you can do now, Paul. Go home, we'll take it from here."

So he had. He'd come home, crumpled up on the couch and cried like a baby. At some point he must've fallen asleep, for when he next came to it was dark out and the front door was being unlocked. For a brief moment he wondered if it had all been some kind of horrid nightmare. The sight of a plastic bag containing Hanna's phone, wallet, and engagement ring were reminders that in fact her death was quite real, and that his wishes of a dream were futile.

Aria stepped in seconds later, a cheery grin on her face and a stack of newspapers in her hand.

"Paul! You're home early."

He didn't answer her, but cradled his head in his hands and stared at the knots of the wooden floor.

"Paul, what's wrong?" When he didn't reply, she set her stuff on the kitchen table and perched on the arm of the couch next to him.

"Did something happen at work?" Still no response. "Paul, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

He took a shuddery breath, and stared at his best friend through red-rimmed eyes. "Aria—there was umm—Hanna—Hanna's dead."

And then he lost it again. Tears and sobs and moans. Paul Fitz, golden child, Mr. always-perfect-always-put-together, lost it. He buried his face in Aria's lap, and she naturally slid a hand along the length of his back, her palm moving in small circles over the warm fabric of his t-shirt.

"Hanna-what wait? You're joking. This is really sick, you know that?"

"No, Aria." He glanced up at her again and pointed a trembling finger towards the sealed bag on the coffee table. "The E.R. and the car crash, and oh God! Hanna's gone, Aria. Hanna's gone."

Aria's hand stilled. No tears came, no words, no nothing. She felt numb, like this was some big charade and at any minute now Hanna was going to come skipping out of the bedroom, blonde curls bouncing and lips glossed perfectly. But she didn't. Aria waited and waited and waited for the _gotcha moment_. It never came.

She gathered Paul into her arms, her forehead dropping to his shoulder and her hands fisting in the material of his shirt. There was nothing to be said, nothing that could be said.

Her best friend, the girl she called a sister, was gone. It seemed surreal. They'd shared a bagel over breakfast, half with strawberry cream cheese, the other with butter. She'd poured Hanna orange juice; let her borrow her curling iron less than twelve hours prior. And now, she'd never be able to do those things again. With a anguished sob, her tears finally came, the wetness smearing her mascara down her cheeks and staining the white collar of her blouse.

* * *

><p><strong> E<strong>zra Fitz worked late most Friday nights. It was easier to get the work done in one afternoon, rather than procrastinate for two days and be forced to do it all Sunday evenings. This Friday was like all the other ones. He stayed until nearly nine, finished all his papers, and left in a happy mood—ready to curl up in bed with his girlfriend and laze the weekend away.

He knew something was wrong the minute he opened the front door. The apartment was quiet, all the lights save one lamp in the living room were off, and the TV wasn't on. He couldn't recall Aria mentioning anything about going out—nor Hanna or Paul for that matter. Worried, he set his stuff down by the front door, toed of his shoes and padded towards Aria's bedroom. She wasn't in there either.

"Aria?"

No answer.

Concerned, he checked the bathroom, the kitchen, and his bedroom. There was still no sign of her. Finally, just when he was about to start panicking, a pale and puffy faced Aria emerged from Paul and Hanna's bedroom. She attempted a faint smile when she saw him, but the gesture fell flat.

"Aria, what's wrong?"

She shook her head, and he watched two lone tears create parallel tracks down her cheeks. "Ezra." He'd never heard her so broken, so desperate sounding—even after all her heartbreak over Paul.

Sobbing, she wrapped her arms around him tightly and buried her face in his neck. Tears soaked through the thin linen of his button down shirt in seconds, and he held her close to him with a fierce strength, wanting nothing more than to protect her from whatever was causing her so much pain.

"Aria, you're scaring me. What's happened?"

She gulped, though the sound was more like dry heave, and lifted her watery gaze to his. "It's Hanna…Ezra, she's dead."


	11. Life After Death

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 10**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars. All rights belong to Sara Shepard and ABC Family respectively.**

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><p><em>May 2017: Love Don't Run by Steve Holy<em>

**J**ust as aren't any how-to books to read in preparation for the death of a loved one, there also aren't any guides-for-dummies on how to carry on afterwards. There isn't any magic combination of tears, sleepless nights, and what-ifs that make life after death any easier. The process is trial and error, and day by day, and painful moment by painful moment.

But as time passes, the grief becomes a lighter burden to bear—or maybe, just maybe, we learn to shoulder that burden better. Regardless of how it happens, or when it happens, we eventually learn to function again. It starts with the simple things—actually crawling out of bed and the grungy sweats we've been sporting for days, forcing down the first real meal, venturing outside of the safe haven of home. Then, slowly but surely, bit by bit, we learn to live again. Joy remerges, daily routines become more fluid and less mechanic, and life, as it always does, becomes something _we want to do_ instead of something _we have to do. _

Paul Fitz wasn't quite ready for the _want to_ yet. He'd begun to move through the actions—brushing his teeth, eating again, showering when it felt necessary—but all that was because he _had to_, because Aria _made _him. None of it was because he _wanted to. _He didn't want to go back to the hospital. He didn't want to box up Hanna's things. He didn't want to acknowledge that the best thing that'd ever happened to him, the only thing that'd ever mattered, was gone.

So he didn't. He took a leave from school. He left everything exactly as it'd been the morning before the car crash, the bed, and the dresser, and the bathroom, and he slept on the couch instead. Aria stayed out with him in the living room most nights, curled up in the lazy boy chair. He didn't have the strength to tell her to go to her own room and get a decent night's sleep in her own bed. He couldn't. Having her so near, having her there when he woke in the middle of night crying and sweating, was familiar, almost like the temptation of a drug. Paul had reached a point where he didn't think he could function if she wasn't there—and that terrified him almost as much as Hanna's death did.

And like an addict, he didn't feel guilty for the people he was hurting in the process. Paul saw the hurt in Ezra's eyes every single, damn night—and he _didn't_ care. He knew that every night Aria spent with him in the living room, was a night she was spending away from Ezra, and each night created a wider gap between the two lovers. Yet still, he wasn't concerned for his brother's happiness or for Aria's. In some sick, twisted part of himself, Paul Fitz wanted his elder brother, whom had everything, to feel some small piece of the agony he felt over the absence of Hanna.

It worked too. Ezra Fitz mourned the loss of Hanna Marin—just not to the degree that Aria and Paul did. He mourned more for them, than for himself. But as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into nearly a month since her passing, Ezra was reaching his breaking point.

* * *

><p>On Friday, May 20th, was Ezra teetered dangerously close to the precipice of that point. He'd come home early, bringing dinner, though no one but him would eat it, and a movie, that no one but him would watch. It was the gesture that mattered, he reasoned. His actions, small though they may have been, provided some sense of normalcy to the little apartment that had been turned topsy-turvy by tragedy.<p>

Paul was lying on the couch exactly as Ezra had left him that morning, and Aria was seated on the floor near his head, her fingers threaded softly through his hair as she comforted the crying man.

"It's my fault. Hanna's dead because of me."

"That's nonsense, Paul. There's nothing you could've done." Aria's voice was firm, and with a sad smile, Ezra noted, very tired sounding. Of course, she'd been through the very same speech with Paul close to fifty times during the recent weeks.

"But it is, if I'd been a better boyfriend, if I'd listened to her more…if I hadn't slept with you…she might still be here."

"Paul, what we did had no effect on Hanna's death. It was tragic and…" She took a shuddery breath and collected her thoughts. "But you cannot blame yourself—you cannot!"

Ezra sighed and dumped the plastic bag full of Chinese takeout cartoons on the kitchen counter and toed off his shoes. Aria glanced up at him from her seat near the coffee table, one corner of her mouth twitching up in half smile. It was the only greeting he received, and feeling rejected he disappeared into his bedroom, the door slamming loudly shut behind him.

Aria shook her head, and looked back down at Paul. "Ezra brought dinner. Do you think you could eat something?"

"No."

"But it's your…"

"Favorite, I know. I'm not hungry, though." He clicked on the TV and turned the volume on low.

Nodding, Aria climbed up into the nearest easy chair and cradled her head in her hands. She couldn't blame him; she didn't feel much like eating either. The hum of the sports channel, while dull, was soothing, and it wasn't long before Aria succumbed to the sleep she'd been evading for days.

* * *

><p><strong> I<strong>t was dark when she awoke next. The TV was still droning on, but Paul was asleep, one arm curled beneath his head and the other clutching a pillow to his chest. She stood and stretched, wincing as her back cracked in protest of the cramped position she'd been sleeping in. The neon numbers of the microwave clock read 1:03am. She groaned, and ran a hand through her hair. She'd been sleeping for seven hours, and her body still felt as if it needed to rest for days longer.

Aria turned the TV off, and padded softly towards Ezra's bedroom, shedding the too-hot sweatshirt she'd been wearing in the process. His curtains were drawn, and the room was nearly pitch black. She could just faintly make out his bed in the dim light, and more by feel than sight crawled up it and curled beneath the sheets.

Ezra mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep and rolled over as her weight settled beside him. She smiled and brushed his bangs from his forehead. She hadn't really realized how much she'd missed this, missed the closeness, missed the comfort, missed _him_.

"Aria?"

She was surprised by his sleepy whisper and by the feel of warm hands sliding across her waist. "It's me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's alright. Haven't been asleep long anyway." Ezra pressed a kiss to her forehead and slipped an arm beneath her to cradle her tiny body against his. He couldn't see her face in the dark, but felt the curve of her lips as she smiled against his bare shoulder.

Just as he opened his mouth to tell her how much he'd missed her, how glad he was that she'd come to him, how much he loved her, he felt tears upon his bare chest and the tremble of her shoulders as she cried. He pressed her more tightly to him and lowered his lips to her brow. They'd talk in the morning. For now, the night would be enough.

* * *

><p><strong> I<strong>t was nice to wake up next to someone, instead of being folded into an uncomfortable ball on the easy chair in the living room. The first thing Aria's gaze fell upon as she opened her eyes was Ezra's handsome face, lashes resting against tanned cheeks, and lips quirked into a relaxed line. She sighed quietly and slipped from beneath his heavy arm; she needed to check on Paul.

"Don't go."

Aria's gaze traveled back to the bed. "I need to check on Paul."

"He can wait. I promise you he didn't go anywhere in the middle of the night."

"Ezra, I…"

"Come here." He propped himself up on one elbow and outstretched his free hand towards her. Reluctantly, she acquiesced, sinking down beside him and curling her legs under her. "How are you?"

She bit her lip. "Better, I guess. It's just hard, you know? I want to crawl in bed and never come out again."

"I know, but Hanna wouldn't want you to do that. She'd want you to keep living."

"Yeah, but how can I—when my best friend can't?" Her voice cracked and a tear slid down her cheek. "I feel like I'm slipping. I'm not sure if I can do this anymore."

He frowned and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "So don't. Paul's a grown man, Aria. There's only so much you can do for him before he has to figure things out for himself."

"I can't just ignore him, Ezra. He's hurting!" She sniffled and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her Henley.

"You have to take care of yourself first, Aria. You have to give yourself time to grieve."

"I have."

"You haven't."

Aria sighed and looked at Ezra dejectedly. "I lost my best friend, Ezra. But Paul, he lost the love of his life. I can't focus on myself when he's barely getting through this."

"And I'm losing you. Aria, you have to focus on yourself. I get that you want to help him, that's one of the reasons why I love you, but I won't stand by and watch you make yourself sick in the process."

"Then don't." Her voice was bitter and she stood up from the bed. "No one's asking you to."

"Aria…"

"Maybe it's best if we cool things off for a bit. I can't handle you and Paul and myself right now."

"Aria, I don't want to 'cool things off'! I want to be able to help you. We can get through this."

"No, Ezra. _I_ have to get through this. If you love me, you'll let me do this on my own, you'll give me the space I want."

"Give you space?" He groaned and ran his hands over his face. "I've given you space for three weeks. What good has that done?" Ezra glanced up in expectation of a response, but Aria was already gone. Only the dark blue of her sweatshirt tossed at the foot of the bed serving as a reminder that she'd been there at all.


	12. The Things You Love Most

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 11**

**Disclaimer: Pretty Little Liars still isn't mine. Darn.**

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><p><em>June 2017: Blue Skies Again by Jessica Mayfield<em>

**E**zra Fitz had always loved summertime. As a boy, it'd meant sun, surf, sand, and ice cream on the Carolina coast with his family. His parents owned a small cottage on the Outer Banks, and for as long as he could remember, the family would pack up at the end of May, drive the ten or so odd hours south, and stay until August. As a man, summer became a rare luxury that few of his peers could afford. His job as a teacher meant he had summers off, which in turn meant plenty of time for reading, writing, and lazing about.

He hadn't been back to the cottage since the summer before his senior year of college, and when, at the beginning of June, his parents called and asked if he, Aria, and Paul would be willing trade a bit of manual labor to fix up the house for a free vacation, he heartily agreed.

Ezra, of course, leapt at the chance to escape the tiny city apartment, and Aria wasn't far behind him. She managed to convince her editor to let her write a few travel pieces for her column, and was the first one to shove everything in a suitcase. Paul, who'd almost all but dropped out of medical school, could care less what they did, and with very little prodding succumbed to the will of his two roommates.

That's why, on Friday, the 7th of June, all three of them were stretched out on beach towels in the warm sand, soaking up UV rays and turning various shades of red. They'd arrived in the small community of Corolla just the day before, and had elected unanimously, minus Paul who hadn't voted at all, to skip the building and hammering and nailing and painting for a few days in favor of relaxing on the beach.

"Tell me again why we have three different types of sunscreen?" Ezra glanced over at Aria and tossed the battered copy of _Old Man and the Sea _he'd been reading onto the ground beside him.

"Because I don't want my face to burn, but I want to tan. Hence why there's SPF 70 for my face, and SPF 4 for my body. The SPF 30 is because I figured you and Paul wouldn't want to smell like coconut oil."

"Considerate." Ezra laughed stood up. "I'm getting into the ocean. Anyone with me?"

Paul shook his head and went back to staring at the horizon. Aria lowered her cherry red sunglasses over her nose and looked at Ezra skeptically. "Promise not to drag me under?"

Ezra shrugged. "I'll try my best to keep my childish antics to a minimum." He winked at her and Aria blushed—though he figured the red tint of her cheeks could've just as easily been blamed upon the heat from the sun.

She grinned, turned off her iPod, and readjusted the straps of her bikini before standing up and following Ezra to the water's edge.

"I'm worried about him." Aria poked one toe into the water and shivered. There was not a chance in hell she was going to throw herself into the icy water.

"Me too. Give him time though. I think that being away from everything will be good for him." Ezra trudged a few feet into the Atlantic and beckoned her over. "You coming or not?"

"Not. I think I'll just stay here and watch you freeze your ass off."

"It's not that cold."

"You're delusional."

"Fine, if you won't come out here, I'll just have to come and get you."

She should've run. Aria was faster than him, at least if she was running only a short distance. He moved too quickly though, and in mere seconds she found herself tossed over his shoulder.

"Ezra Fitz, if you don't put me down right this instant…" Her tiny fists pounded his lower back and he laughed.

"You're cute when you're mad, did you know that? But if you really want down…" He dropped her, face first, into a frigid oncoming wave.

She bobbed up a few seconds later, spluttering and cursing his name. Her hair was tangled around her, and he used one hand to carefully sweep it away from her eyes. "I hate you." But even as she spoke, she was struggling to contain her laughter. Without warning, she sent a spray of salty water his way and straight up his nose.

"Damn it, Aria. You know I hate getting water in my nose."

She shrugged innocently and turned to float on her back with the current. "You get what you ask for." Aria kicked hard and swam a few paces away. "Coming or not?"

He smiled and followed her. It was nice to have Aria, the fun-loving, smiling girl he loved back—even if it was only briefly.

* * *

><p><strong> A<strong>ria Montgomery loved the sunrise, especially when she could watch the colors of night lighten and recede into the horizon , when the indigo blended slowly with red to for a light pink hue that made everything seem softer, more friendly. There wasn't much of that in the city. Everything was blocked by gray steel, towering buildings, and smog. But there, on the island, there was nothing to block the sun. It was a few hundred yards of sand, and then miles and miles and miles of murky blue water that merged into the horizon.

She couldn't claim to be a particularly religious person, and she certainly didn't see the sunrise as a rebirth of sorts, but she could comprehend why some did. It was truly breathtaking to watch something so glorious, and when on watching it alone, provided invaluable time to think.

Aria left the small cottage just a few minutes past five-thirty, barefooted and in the long sleeve t-shirt and running shorts she'd slept in. Her hair she'd loosely braided and tossed over one shoulder, and her face was bare. She was tired—Ezra had kept her up until nearly one, and she'd only gotten four hours of sleep. But it mattered little, for it would be her first official sunrise of the summer season, and that was something she _could not _miss.

The beach was empty, save a few sandpipers quietly scurrying around, their feet leaving little tracks in the damp sand near the water's edge. A few hundred yards out, a line of seven pelicans dipped low over the waves, the tips of their wings skimming the surface of the ocean. It was nearly silent, and the roar of the surf was soothing. She settled near the water, toes buried in the sand and fingers toying softly with a broken shard of shell.

There comes a time at sunrise when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is a heartbeat. It's sound must be learned well, each staccato note interpreted perfectly; otherwise, it's meaning will never be understood. Well, Aria Montgomery was trying to listen. She'd been trying for weeks, but as she sat on the shore and watched the sun crest over the horizon, she came to the conclusion that she must be tone deaf–for she was no closer to understanding what she wanted than she had been a month ago.

It frightened Aria how much she missed being with Ezra. It couldn't be healthy, she reasoned, to depend entirely so much on one person. She as an independent woman couldn't wrap her head around the fact that she _needed _him. And it was scary how easily they'd slipped back into the role of "just friends." They talked and laughed and spent crazy amounts of time together, but it was like someone had pulled the plug on their romance. Of course, she'd been the one to pull that plug.

Looking back, breaking things off with him felt like the right decision at the time. Hanna's death had been too much to cope with, was still too much to cope with. And it wasn't fair to Ezra to have a girlfriend that couldn't give 100% of herself to the relationship. If her decision had hurt him, he didn't show it. He was supportive and understanding and caring and considerate, and so many other wonderful things. But now, in the hushed moments before dawn Aria Montgomery found herself wishing for the tenderness she'd lost that May morning. Her body craved the warmth of another, someone to hold her at night when the reality that Hanna would be gone forever sank in again and the tears came. Yet she couldn't bring herself to voice her desires to Ezra. It wasn't fair to keep stringing him along. Aria was well aware of how deeply he cared for her, and to pretend to be ignorant of his feeling was cruel. So instead, she kept everything platonic, everything safe.

If she had one true fear it was that dating him, loving him, falling headfirst into a relationship with him would ruin their friendship. She'd already lost one best friend; she couldn't stand to lose another.

Overhead, a gull squawked and seconds later the sun burst over the sky line in a blazing fireball of orange and red and yellow. She sucked in deep breath, the sea air tangy and sweet on her tongue, and arched her back. Yes, she may've loved Ezra Fitz, but she'd come to learn the hard way, that when you love someone it's often better to let them go, to keep them at a safe distance, than to draw them close and risk injury.

* * *

><p><strong> P<strong>aul Fitz didn't love much of anything anymore. The things that had once brought joy, the things that'd mattered most, had dimmed in importance or were gone completely. He used to love summers on the coast. He spent more days of his childhood in the water than out of it. And like Ezra, he'd eaten more ice cream than should've been humanly possible.

Well, he didn't want to get in the ocean anymore, and he had lost the taste for ice cream. It was too sweet, too sickeningly sugary, and reminded him too much of Hanna. Hanna who'd loved ice cream. Hanna who'd loved the ocean as much as he had; Hanna who was gone.

He was grateful that at least that much had sunk in. For days he'd denied that she was actually dead, preferring instead to delude himself into believing that she'd merely gone home to visit her parents and would be back soon. Eventually though, after several sleepless nights and a pair of eyes too raw to shed anymore tears, he'd come to accept her death. And somewhere in all of that, he'd managed to pull Aria away from Ezra. They thought he was oblivious to everything going on around him—they were wrong.

He noticed. He noticed a lot more than they gave him credit for. Ezra had gone from staring at Aria like she was the sun to barely looking at her at all. Aria had moved back into her own room, and though she and Ezra still talked and goofed around, the spark Paul had noted early on in their relationship was gone. Of course, it'd been his plan all along. But like his love for the ocean, his desire to rip apart Ezra's romance with Aria had faded and all that remained was guilt.

"Are you going to stand there and stare at her all morning?" Paul jumped and knocked over the mug of coffee he'd set on the balcony railing at the sound of Ezra's voice, the ceramic shattering on the ground below.

"Shit, you scared me."

"Sorry. You've just been out here for awhile. I'll clean that up later." Ezra came to stand beside his brother and folded his arms across the railing, his gaze sweeping out towards the beach where Aria was sitting watching the sunrise.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Ezra was surprised by the softness of his brother's tone, and he nodded. "Yeah, she really is."

"Think she's alright?"

"I think she's trying to be. What about you, Paul? Are you alright?"

"I'm trying too, bro. But that's all we can really do, isn't it?"

"Yeah. We've just got to keep trying—things will get better eventually."

"So people keep telling me." Paul sighed and rubbed his finger over the peeling paint of the railing. "What happened between the two of you?"

Ezra furrowed his brow. "I don't know. One minute we were fine, and the next she said she needed space…so I gave it to her."

"Didn't it hurt to do that?"

"Yes, but Paul, when you love someone you have to give them what's best for them, even if it's the worst thing for you."

"You really love her don't you?"

Ezra nodded and shoved his hands into the pockets of his cargo shorts. "I really do."

"Think she's the one?"

Ezra laughed. "I _know_ she's the one."

For a brief moment the corners of Paul's lips quirked up in the beginnings of a smile. "Does she know that?"

"She will. One day, she will." Ezra cleared his throat and headed towards the sliding glass door that led back into the house. "Now come one, little bro. We've got a lot of work ahead of us. The house isn't going to paint itself."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So Aria and Ezra are one the same page regarding love—they both believe what they're doing is right, but is it really? I think Paul's on the road to recovery, and maybe he'll find his way back to the things he loves most.**


	13. The Things We Come To Fear Most

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 12**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars. All rights belong to Sara Shepard and ABC Family**

**respectively.**

**HarrylovesGinny09: Hanna's death was purely part of the story plot. It added a twist to the story.**

**Spencer and Emily aren't in this story, but they could show up later.**

**To My Blog Spammer: I'd love to be your valentine, but unfortunately I've already been claimed. And**

**as for your addiction…I suggest you seek treatment.**

* * *

><p>July 2017: Summer Rain by Matthew<p>

"_Many people crucify themselves between two thieves—regret for the past and fear for the future._"One marks precious memories, and the other drains optimism drop by drop until the person becomes nothing more than a hollow vessel. Neither leaves a person fully intact, and the things that were once loved most play starring roles in nightmares.

Well, Paul Fitz certainly had regrets, certainly had nightmares, and more than anything, was terrified of what the future held—terrified of what it would be like if he truly allowed himself to live again. So, he didn't live for much of that summer. He went through the motions; laying out on the beach, fixing up the house, reading when the fancy struck him, but never taking part in any activity he truly loved. He didn't smile very often, and laughed even less than that.

But there were rare occasions, brief glitches in time when the pre-April-pre-tragedy-Paul that actually gave a damn about anything reemerged. The Friday of July 5th was one such occasion. He'd been stretched out on the sand, watching Ezra and Aria sneak glances at each other like a pair of fifth graders. They'd grown flirtier in recent weeks, and Paul hoped that it was a sign that perhaps their relationship was on the mend. He wanted to see both Aria and his older brother happy, after they'd both given so much to try and repair him.

"Oh my God!"

"What is it, Aria?"

Paul sat up at the worried note in Ezra's voice and turned his head towards the pair.

"There's a little kid out there." She pointed out towards the horizon. Paul's gaze followed her outstretched arm and felt his gut churn as he spied the small child she'd pointed out. Sure enough, there was a little boy, probably no older than six, clinging to a boogey board several hundred feet out.

"Christ, how'd he end up out there?"

"The currents are pretty bad today—wouldn't take much to drag someone out that far." Paul removed his sunglasses and stood up. "I'll go get the lifeguard."

"There isn't one right now; it's too early in the morning." Aria glanced towards the empty guard towers and back again.

"Where are his parents?"

"I don't know." Aria shifted on her towel, and lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she scanned the beach. "Nobody else is out here right now." She stood up next to Paul and placed a hand upon his arm. "You've got to go get him!"

"Aria, I…"

A small shriek drew their attention back out towards the surf and Aria gasped as she watched a wave slam into the little boy and pull him under. He resurfaced seconds later, loosely slumped over the board.

"Paul, you're the strongest swimmer of all three of us. He'll die if we just sit here and watch!"

"She's right, Paul."

"Guys, I don't know if I can." He bit his lip uncertainly and stared at the boy for a few moments. He hadn't been in the ocean since last summer. Hanna had loved the water, and he'd loved it because Hanna had.

"Paul," he glanced down at Aria as she whispered to him, eyes glassy and lips pressed into a thin line, "you have to."

He sucked in a deep breath and nodded. "Call 911. I'll be back in a few minutes." Aria took off for the beach house at the same moment Paul sprinted towards the water's edge, sand flying up from beneath his heels.

He felt tugging of the rip current just a few feet out, and knew instinctively that it was going to be a fight to swim out to the little boy. Paul took another shuddery breath and dove in, swimming on a diagonal to avoid the strongest of the tide. Somewhere between the last point he could touch the ocean floor with his feet and the boy, Paul forgot his fears, felt the ache subside in his stomach as he pushed thoughts of Hanna and thoughts of death from his mind.

The child was barely breathing when Paul reached him. Sandy curls were plastered to closed eyes, his little lips were parted softly and beginning to turn a chilling shade of blue and as Paul placed two fingers to a tiny wrist, he detected only a faint pulse.

"You're going to be alright, kid. Just hang on for a few more minutes." Paul took the cord from the board and wrapped it once around the child to keep him afloat, and then used the remaining length to drag him towards shore as he swam.

Aria and Ezra were waiting right at the water's edge as he climbed out, the little boy held tightly in his arms.

"The paramedics are on the way. Is he alright?"

Paul shook his head and laid the boy out on his beach towel. "He's not breathing." With the skilled hands of a doctor, Paul started CPR, his large hands pumping out repetitive compressions on the small chest of the child.

"Come on, kid. One breath, just open your eyes."

With a choking gasp, the little boy's eyes flew open. Seawater dribbled out from between his tiny lips and a small cry escaped him. It was the most beautiful sound Paul had ever heard. "Thank God." He propped the kid up and brushed the damp curls from his eyes. They were blue, like Hanna's had been.

"Elijah!" Paul glanced up at the frantic cry, and managed a small smile as a young woman came running down the beach towards the gathered group.

"He's alright. The paramedics are on their way though. It's probably best if they look at him, make sure that everything's okay." The woman dropped to her knees beside Paul. Her arms drew the child to her chest, and she admonished him for wandering away in between words of love and relief.

Paul stood up and watched the scene, arms folded across his chest and warmth filling his heart. That moment right there, the moment when some was saved from the brink of death, was why he'd wanted to become a doctor in the first place. There weren't adequate words for it.

The paramedics arrived a few minutes later, and Paul stepped aside to stand with Aria and Ezra while they worked.

"You're a hero, you know that?"

Paul shrugged and shook his head at Aria. "I was just doing my job."

She hugged him tightly then, and he kissed her forehead softly. "I think you're coming back to us, Paul."

"I'm trying, Aria. I'm trying."

"Excuse me?"

Aria drew away from him as the boy's mother approached. "I want to thank you. Elijah…he wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you. There's no way I can ever repay you."

Paul smiled gently. "There's nothing to repay me for. Anybody would've done it."

She nodded. "I'm Audrey by the way." She held out her hand and Paul shook it lightly.

"I'm Paul. This is my brother Ezra, and my best friend Aria."

"It's nice to meet you." She grinned and ran a hand through her tousled black curls. "I've got to go, but maybe I'll see the three of you around sometime?"

Paul nodded. "I'm sure we will."

Audrey waved one last time, and then walked away to follow the paramedics back up the beach to the ambulance.

"Nice girl." Ezra smirked and Aria punched him in the arm playfully. "I know a certain someone who'd _definitely_ like to see her again." The two of them looked at Paul accusingly and chuckled.

Paul frowned at them and gathered his towel into his arms. "What are you guys laughing at?" When he received no answer, he shook his head. "Never mind. I'm going to take a shower. You guys want to grab lunch afterwards?"

The two of them nodded and grabbed their towels. "Yeah, we'll meet you at that sandwich shop just down the road."

"Noon?"

Aria nodded and slid on her flip-flops. "Noon sounds good."

Paul trudged back up the beach, leaving Ezra and Aria staring after him.

"I think we may've just gotten our Paul back."

"You know something, Ezra? I think you're right." She smiled and handed her stuff to him. "Now come on, let's hop in the pool before lunch."

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, Aria sat alone on the beach, watching the clouds of thunderstorm roll in across the Atlantic. Ezra and Paul were repairing the front porch; both of them had sent her away for a half hour, claiming that carpentry was man's work. The feminist in her should have been offended—women could do anything men could do—but it'd been a few days since she'd had time to herself.<p>

Families were packing up around her, shoving sand toys and towels into large bags as thunder began to rumble lowly. She didn't move however; there was something hypnotic about watching the purple clouds brighten with each flash of lightening.

With a soft sigh, she curled her legs to her chest and rested her chin atop her knees. Watching Ezra work was hypnotic too. She'd spilt more buckets of paint, dumped more boxes of nails on the floor, and hammered her own thumb more often in the past three weeks than she had in her entire twenty-three years. It was juvenile really, the way she gawked at him. Aria should've been immune to him—after all she'd seen him shirtless numerous times since she was a teenager. But then he'd catch her staring at him, he'd grin, wink, and then laugh before turning away again. And she should've been embarrassed that she was so blatant—yet she wasn't. Her goal of keeping a distance, of standing firmly of the side of being just friends became harder with each passing day, and she wondered how much longer she could skirt around that fine line.

A raindrop splashed onto her forehead, and a loud clap of thunder echoed overhead. The beach was empty now, devoid on any creature, seagulls included. She tipped her face towards the sky and giggled as the cold rain sprinkled upon her skin. Call it foolish, but rain never failed to make her feel like a child again.

Thunder rumbled again, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, and the heavens opened up, allowing the light drizzle to turn into a full-fledged down pour in mere seconds.

"Aria, what the hell are you doing?"

She whirled around at the sound of Ezra's voice, the suddenness of his approach startling her far more than the deafening thunder had.

"Playing in the rain." She giggled and stretched out her arms, palm face up. "Doesn't it feel wonderful?"

He rolled his eyes. "You've lost your mind."

"Don't be such a party-pooper, Ezra." She skipped towards him, the rose colored fabric of the sundress she was wearing clinging to her body. "Here," Aria held his hand and turned it upwards as hers were, "do you feel that?"

He barely heard her words over the onslaught of rain; it was falling so rapidly he could barely see her, much less her quiet voice. Lightning, a great deal closer than it had been before, flashed across the black sky, and was rapidly followed by a crack of thunder that left his ears ringing.

"Come on!" He took her hand again, and tugged her up the beach. "It's too close. You're just asking to get struck."

Ezra pulled her into the first building he stumbled upon, an old life guarding shack that hadn't been used in years. It was dry and warm, the air tangy with old saltwater. She grinned at him and shoved wet curls out of her eyes. "Way to ruin the fun."

He chuckled. "Yeah, it would've been so much fun if you'd gotten hurt."

"Oh, come on. I would've been fine." Aria twisted her hair over one shoulder and rang the water out. "Think it'll last long?"

"I don't know. When I checked the radar this morning, the storm looked pretty massive. We'll just have to wait it out." He ran a hand over his face, and shook the water from his hair.

When he glanced up again, Aria was standing very close to him, her bottom lip caught between her teeth and her cheeks flushed the same color as her dress.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

"Aria…"

And then they were kissing. In the months to come, they'd both blame it upon the cramped shed, the humidity of the day, the sound of the rain—neither wanted to admit that they'd been the one responsible for what happened. But at the present moment, standing pressed against one another, fingers tangled in hair and lips moving heatedly together, it didn't matter who'd started it. All that mattered was how right it felt.

He groaned as her hands found the bottom hem of his soaked t-shirt and yanked it up over his head. The responsible part of him, the part of him that warned against getting involved, begged him to stop. But the part of him that loved her, the part that always got him in trouble, urged against it. The latter won out, and his fingers nimbly untied the sash of her dress and pushed the material down to her feet.

Aria shivered as goose bumps fleshed out across her skin the minute the cool air hit her. She moved against him, her arms wrapping tightly around his shoulders and legs winding tightly around his waist.

"We should," another kiss, "stop."

"Yeah," another kiss, "probably not," she moaned as his lips burned across her neck, "a good idea."

But they didn't stop, and when the storm broke she lay sated, and curled against his bare chest on an old lounge chair.

* * *

><p>Things were uncomfortable at best, and incredibly awkward at worst for the rest of the day. Neither was sure where their actions of the afternoon had put them, and both were still too raw from the emotions to really speak of it. Aria retreated to her room after a hasty dinner, while Paul and Ezra headed out to the local bar for a few drinks and a round of pool.<p>

She'd claimed she didn't want to go because of work, that she had a deadline to meet. She didn't. The articles for her column had been finished nearly two weeks prior. Instead, she sat at her desk and stared out the window—her mind focused on anything but her job.

Her phone rang just after seven, and she glanced at it warily. She really hoped it wasn't Ezra calling her to ask her to join them—she couldn't face a night out. The caller I.D. flashed New York Times, and she groaned. It was her editor.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Aria. This is Jones."

"How are you, sir?"

"Fine. Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Is something wrong with my articles, because I can…"

"No, no dear. Nothing's wrong. They're actually fantastic."

"Oh, well thank you."

"That's why I'm calling. A spot just opened up in the travel section, someone quit and we need a new reporter. Would you be interested?"

"Of course!"

"Well don't agree just yet. I want you to think about it for a few days before you make a decision."

"Why?"

"Aria, the job is as a correspondent in Greece. You'd be living there for six months."

"Six months?" She nearly dropped the phone.

"Yes, which is why I want you think long and hard about this. Give me a call back on Monday and let me know what you've decided."

"I will, sir. Goodnight."

"Have a good night, Aria."

She hung up the phone and let it clatter onto the desk. Six months was half a year and Greece was thousands of miles away. It was too much, too far, yet she wanted to take it. That was why she'd gotten into journalism in the first place, to travel, to see the world. And she would've called Jones back in a heartbeat if she was unattached, if things weren't so complicated.

But the fact remained that they were; her afternoon with Ezra had certainly made that clear. Downstairs, a door slammed and was quickly followed by the hearty sound of Ezra's laughter. She sighed and shifted in the chair. She definitely had some thinking to do.


	14. The Definition of Insanity

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 13**

**Disclaimer: Pretty Little Liars isn't mine. Such a shame. If it was, there'd be a lot more**

**Ezria.**

* * *

><p><em>August 2017: Many the Miles by Sara Bareilles.<em>

Making decisions had never been Aria's strong suit. She was indecisive by nature; even selecting what toppings she wanted on her pizza was an ordeal. And once she'd made up her mind, she was left with a never-ending sequence of what-ifs. Yet accepting Jones' offer hadn't required much debate. She'd chosen to go just minutes after getting off the phone with him, and hadn't really regretted it since.

It was bittersweet decision to be sure. Six months in a foreign country certainly wasn't for the faint-hearted. Hell, she didn't even know how to say hello in Greek. But she loved writing and all its amenities, like adventure or in this case, baklava— so much that, she figured it would be enough. Her notions of what living in Greece would be like might've been slightly romanticized; most of what she knew about the country came from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

According to Jones however, that was the point. Her travel pieces were supposed to be about discovering things, about immersing herself in the culture as much as possible.

And she wouldn't be going if she weren't confident that things would be fine without her—they would. Sometime between late July and early August, Paul had pieced himself back together and was reenrolled at school. Audrey, the woman whose child he'd saved, was calling him regularly, and Aria couldn't help but wonder if by the time she got back he'd be in a relationship again. Honestly, she didn't mind. Hanna would've wanted him to be happy, and in turn that meant Aria wanted him to be happy. Ezra was an entirely different matter. After their heated afternoon together in July, she'd been torn between giving in and giving up. She'd chosen the latter. He hadn't been happy, and she couldn't begrudge him for his disappointment. But he put on a good front, acted as if nothing had ever happened, and moved on. When she'd told him about the job offer, he'd muttered congratulations and stalked off. She cried for him that night, angry that he was treating her so coldly. But when the morning light came, when her eyes were swollen and red, and her throat felt sore, Aria realized that she was the one at fault—she'd pushed him away…again.

Aria's eyes watered as she taped the last box shut. Her bedroom was barren now; the walls dull and gray without her paintings, the windows impossibly large with her lace curtains gone, and her desk barren without its usual collection of papers, pens, and old takeout containers. The emptiness marked an end of sorts—the end of her city life, the end of a young woman's struggle to find her place, and most importantly, the end of happily ever after. Yet, it was also a beginning. It was the start of a new chapter in her life story—a chapter that was as unpredictable as unpredictable could be, and as frightening as frightening could be—and frankly, she couldn't wait to write it.

* * *

><p>"One shot," his lacrosse coach whispered to him, "you've got one shot to make this Ezra. Make sure you take it." Well, he'd taken that shot at his championship high school game , and he'd missed. That's how Ezra felt about Aria. But with her, he'd had so many shots, so many opportunities to prove that he was the guy. And like that championship lacrosse game in high school, he'd bungled it—multiple times.<p>

He wasn't quite sure why he blamed himself for all of it. It was always her stubbornness that ruined them, her reluctance to quit rationalizing everything and fate decide. Of course, he couldn't claim that he hadn't had a hand in the demise of their relationship—he had. That July afternoon in the old lifeguard shack had definitely been his fault. She'd been warm and smiling and laughing and so innocently beautiful in the dim light with her hair frizzing from humidity and her cheeks tinged pink from the sun. So he'd kissed her, he'd kissed her and then made love to her. He didn't regret it, it'd been the best afternoon of his life—but he mourned what it'd caused. Ezra Fitz couldn't help but wonder if he hadn't pulled her in there, if instead he'd just left her alone on the beach, if she'd still be staying in New York—staying with him.

The thing about wondering, however, is that it never leads anywhere. It just opens up wounds for new insecurities to pour in. He sighed and straightened the stack of papers on his desk before flicking off his lamp and shutting down his computer. Grading essays when he was angry wasn't fair to his students—and he was most certainly angry.

Aria Montgomery wasn't taking the job because of the opportunity it offered, she was taking it because she wanted to run away. She wanted to throw in the towel and call it quits on whatever twisted relationship they had going on. Aria Montgomery was taking the easy way out, and Ezra Fitz wasn't about to let her do so without a fight.

She answered on the second ring, her voice surprisingly happy. "Ezra!"

He hated the way his heart still skipped a beat every time she said his name. "Hey, did you get everything packed up?"

"Yeah, I think so. Why?"

"I wanted to see what your plans for this evening were. I was thinking we could meet up somewhere for dinner."

"I'm free." She bit her lip and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She definitely needed to shower before she went anywhere. "What did you have in mind?"

"Pizza? You know that little place over by Central Park?"

"Of course. What time?"

"Seven." He flipped the snaps on his briefcase closed and stood up from his desk.

"Seven's good. I'll see you then, Ezra."

She hung up and tossed her cell phone on the bed. Her last night in New York was certainly going to be an interesting one.

* * *

><p>Somehow, they managed to make it through two salads and a medium pepperoni pizza without bringing up the topic of her departure. Instead, they spoke of Paul and his interest in Audrey, of Ezra's new short story, and of the pictures her parents had sent her from their summer vacation in Europe. It was an uneasy conversation though, both of them all too aware that at some point, they wouldn't be able to avoid the subject of Greece any longer.<p>

The fateful moment came just before nine, when they were strolling through Central Park. Aria had paused at the fountain, her fingers trailing lightly over the still water and creating small ripples on the surface.

"I'll miss this place." She folded her arms across her chest and smiled thoughtfully. "I never thought I'd leave here."

"But you are."

She nodded and tore her eyes away from the city skyline to look at him. "But I am."

He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth slowly on his heels. "Are you sure you're making the right decision?"

Aria sighed and gave him a sad smile. "I think so."

"I don't think you are. I think you're running away." Ezra hadn't meant to let anger creep into his voice, he really hadn't.

She flinched. "Well, it's not your decision to make is it?"

"No, but I should have some say in it."

"What in the hell makes you think that?" They were practically yelling at each other now, and Aria was grateful for the emptiness of the park.

"Because I love you, and you're throwing away the best thing you've ever had."

"A bit self-satisfied, aren't we?" She regretted it the moment it left her mouth—he was right. Ezra Fitz was most certainly the best thing that'd ever happened to her.

"You know when you talk to older couples, the ones that have been in love for 30 or 40 or 50 years? It's always the guy that says I knew, I knew! I'm that guy, Aria! I know. I've known for years. And you walking away from this is like saying I mean nothing to you." His voice cracked and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Ezra, I…don't you see? We're doing this over and over and over again. We're moving in circles that just get wider every time—we're getting nowhere. It's the definition of insanity. What we're doing is insane. I can't do it anymore."

"You know, Aria, I never pegged you for a quitter."

Tears burned in her eyes at his accusation, and she shrugged. "Maybe I am. I'll never be able to give you what you want Ezra. I can't be that girl."

He reached out for her then, his arms trailing slowly down her arms to hold her hands. "You already are that girl, Aria. Can't you see that?"

She shook her head. "I'm not. You need to find someone who'll love all of you, who can give herself to you without doubts or second thoughts. I can't do that, Ezra.

I'm not wired like that. And I won't try and change myself."

"No one's asking you to change!" Desperate, he pulled her to him, ignoring her quiet mewl of protest. Their lips met, and as they did every time, both felt that spark. "Stay with me, Aria."

She arched up on her toes and brushed her mouth against his one final time. "I can't, Ezra. I have to go." Aria pulled away and tossed her ruffled hair over one shoulder. "I have to."

His heart hardened in that moment. Rejection burned through him like the strongest whiskey, but there was no smooth finish. "Fine then, Aria! Go! But when you get back, I won't be here waiting. I have to find someone else; someone that will love me and ask no questions of what I am. So, go."

Her lower lip quivered, and he denied the urge within him to comfort her. Tears fell one by one upon her flushed cheeks and a sob broke the silence. "If that's what you want."

"It's what I want."

She nodded and sucked in a deep breath at the finality in his voice. "Alright then.I guess this is good bye."

"Goodbye, Aria."

She turned on her heel and fled back down the path from which they'd come, the click of her stiletto on the concrete the only noise in the quiet park.

* * *

><p><strong>P<strong>aul went with her to the airport the next morning. Ezra hadn't made an appearance at breakfast, and though it broke her heart, she couldn't wait around for him. She checked her bags, and then stood making small talk with Paul in the airport's lobby, simply trying to prolong her time with one of her best friends.

"Let me know that you've made it there safely, alright? I've got enough to worry about without adding you to the list."

"I will. Can you give Ezra this for me?" She pulled a small envelope from her purse and placed it in Paul's hand.

"Sure, but he said he'd be here when I talked to him late last night."

Aria shook her head. "I don't think he's coming. And I've got to go, my flight boards soon."

"Give it a few minutes, he'll be here."

She sighed, secretly hoping that Paul was right. She didn't want to leave things as they'd been the night before. Seconds ticked by, first sixty, then 120, then another sixty. "Paul, I've got to go."

He nodded. "I'm sorry, I thought he was coming."

"It's alright." Aria embraced him warmly and then picked up her carry-on. "Don't be a stranger. I'll call you when I get there."

"I'll make sure Ezra gets this."

She nodded and kissed him on the cheek. "See you around."

Aria had almost reached the security check point when she heard her name being called. With a lurch and a large grin, she turned just in time to see Ezra waving at her from the top of the escalator. Setting her bag in a nearby chair, she moved towards him, meeting him halfway across the floor.

"You came."

He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand a gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah, I didn't feel right without saying goodbye."

She bit her lip, unsure of what to say. "Paul has a letter for you."

"He gave it to me. Listen, Aria, I…"

She shook her head. "Ezra, I don't want to say anything we'll regret. Last night was…intense, and I think we both meant what we said, regardless of our emotional state." Aria laughed lightly, though there was very little humor in it.

"You're probably right. So I, I guess be careful, and make sure you call me?"

"Of course. I'll call you as soon as I land."

He sighed and took her hand. "Six months from today, I want you to meet me in Central Park at that little fountain. It doesn't matter how much things have changed, or how we feel. Six months from today, Aria. Promise me?"

She gave his hand a small squeeze. "I promise. Six months from today…" Saying the words made the date seem so far away, and she blinked away tears. "I'll miss you, Ezra."

"I'll miss you too, Aria. Last night doesn't change us…we'll always be friends. I'll always be here if you need me."

She forced a grin and dropped his hand. "Stop it, you're going to make me cry."

"Alright. Well then, goodbye, Aria."

She rose up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Goodbye, Ezra."

With a shared sad smile, Aria turned and headed back to security while Ezra headed back up the escalators. It was going to be a long six months.


	15. Matters of the Heart

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 14**

**Disclaimer: Pretty Little Liars isn't mine, and unfortunately, neither is Ezra Fitz. **

**Recap: Aria took the job offer in Greece—choosing logic over heart. Ezra's devastated by her decision—especially after their romance on the beach—but in the end decides that if she's leaving, he's going to move on. Paul is slowly but surely making progress and is definitely not the same man he's been for the past few months. **

_September 2017: Without Her Leaving by Jaron and the Long Road to Love_

_**Friday, September 9**__**th**__**, 2017**_

_Dear Aria,_

_ It's been one month since you left, and I still catch __ myself every time I walk past your bedroom. Part of me still expects to see you sitting at the desk, __ face bathed in the glow of lamp light, pen flying over paper, and foot tapping out a soundless rhythm to an unknown song. It's weird not having you here— __too quiet, too empty. God help me for saying this but I miss your obnoxious Lady Gaga, and your fruit loops, and the way the bathroom always smelled like vanilla after you showered. I even bought a box of fruit loops the other day—I forgot how much I hate them. I guess what I'm trying to get at here, Aria, is that I miss you—even with your horrible taste in cereal. I know you're smiling as you read this—I am too. And that was largely the point—we've all been down for way too long._

_ Paul's a changed man from the grief-stricken zombie you left a month ago. Audrey, the woman from the Outer Banks, just moved up here to stay with her mother. She and Paul have been nearly inseparable—Elijah's been tagging along too. It's funny; I never really pegged Paul as the father type. But watching him with Elijah…well, it's hard to imagine him as anything else. He's gone back to school too. I was worried at first; the weeks following his return were rough. He confided, though he'll kill if he ever finds out that I told you, that being back at the hospital was terrifying. Watching the loss of life was gut-wrenching—and then one day it just changed. He came home excited, prattling on and on about some little girl that he'd saved that day. Paul says he's going into pediatric medicine now, and like watching him with Elijah, and I can't see his future any other way. _

_ And I'm happy too, I suppose. My editor just sent the first hard copy of my book to me—I'll send you one as soon as I get more. The dean of the school also offered me a promotion. You're now best friends with a published author and the head of the English department at Hudson Academy—sounds pretty legit doesn't it? _

_ I've even met someone. You'd love her Aria. Her name's Emma. She's brilliant, reads more than I do, sings like an angel and is a dancer on Broadway. I can't say that we have much in common besides our passion for literature, even our choices in novels differ greatly, but she makes me laugh, makes me smile. It works. _

_ Everything's falling into place, I guess. Paul's settling down, I'm settling down, and you're traveling the world. Aria, it's what we've always wanted, isn't it?_

_ Send me some pictures—I'd love to see the places I read about in the Times every Sunday. And don't forget to write back. Find some time for your humble best friend in the midst of your global explorations. _

_ Five more months, Aria._

_Love,_

_Ezra Fitz. _

…ooo00ooo…

Aria Montgomery wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry as she reread Ezra's letter for the fifth time. She'd done both each time before—cried the first, laughed the second, sniffled her way through the third, and sported a sad smile during the fourth. The paper he'd written it on was crumpled and tearstained from her handling, and the ink was beginning to smear in some places. She wanted to say that she was happy that he was happy—but she couldn't.

With a small sigh, she folded the letter and carefully slipped it back into its envelope before turning her gaze back towards Mediterranean Sea and the small harbor just a few miles away. The night air was cool on her skin, and she tugged the soft cotton of her pale blue robe tighter around her slight frame. It was late, nearly one o'clock in the morning, and the streets below were quiet and dark. The only light came from the waning moon that emerged every so often from the clouds and boats floating idly in the harbor. They were always gone before she awoke, their owners steering them over the waters for another day of fishing, and she made a mental note to rise early one morning and watch them set out.

Greece, so far, had not proved to be everything Aria had hoped it would be. The country was beautiful to be sure, but language was a constant barrier and she'd made very few friends. More than anything she was lonely. She didn't understand the ache in her heart, and she didn't understand why Ezra's letter was bothering her so much.

It'd arrived one week ago, and she still hadn't even picked up a pen to write a reply. Guilt washed through her and she glanced longingly at her desk through the glass of the balcony door. The desk, like her one from home had been, was cluttered with random sheets of paper, a few old—and quite possibly moldy—coffee mugs, and odds and ends she'd picked up at the local market.

Thunder rumbled over head, and lightning lit up the night sky briefly. Turning on her heel, she tucked Ezra's letter into her pocket and headed back into her bedroom—she had some letter writing to do, and whether it killed her or not, she was going to make it sound like everything was as great in Greece as it was back in the Big Apple.

…**ooo00ooo…**

_**Friday, September 16**__**th**__**, 2011**_

_ Dear Ezra, _

_ I'll spare you the sentimental emotions of being a woman and get straight to the heart of the matter—I miss you too…a lot. Sometimes so much that it hurt. I never thought I'd say this, but I miss listening to you and Paul play video games late at night, and I miss my duty of picking up your dirty socks from the bathroom floor. It's quiet here too, and empty. I've never lived alone before—there's always been someone to come to at night, even if it was just an irate Hanna. _

_ I think I miss her more as time goes on. Too many times, I've found myself reaching for my cell phone to text her or send her a picture of some piece of jewelry I've stumbled upon at a market. Then I remember, she's gone, and my heart sinks a little each moment._

_ But aside from those moments of solitude, Greece is fantastic. Granted, it's not the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants experience I'd hoped it would be, but living here definitely has its perks. I'm in Santorini now. The cliffs here are amazing, and I can see everything from the balcony of my apartment. It's odd to come from the metropolitan jungle of New York to this Grecian paradise. There's not nearly as many cars, very few really, and the people are relatively friendly. One local girl, her name's Lena, works at the small grocery store on my street. She's always showing me around, explaining things to me. I'm not sure what I'd do without her. And yes, of course I'll send you pictures…there are not enough words to capture the beauty of this place anyway. _

_ Congratulations on the promotion and the book and Emma! I'd love to meet her. And tell Paul that I'm glad he's gotten himself back on track—I was worried about him for a while. You're right, everything is falling into place. It's a good thing though, right? I mean after the turbulence of these past six months we deserve it, or at least I think we do. _

_ Don't worry about me too much if I don't get back to you right away. I'm fine, and I'm happy—just incredibly busy with the so called 'global explorations'. _

_All my love, _

_Aria Montgomery. _

…**ooo00ooo…**

When Ezra Fitz knew someone, he knew them well. He could tell you nearly everything about them, right down to the flavor of chewing gum they liked most, and Aria liked strawberry-banana-cheesecake on Saturdays, cinnamon on Sundays, spearmint on Mondays, and Juicy fruit on Fridays. As he sat on a bench in Central Park, his fingers smoothing out the wrinkles in the paper of Aria's letter, Ezra wondered if she was chewing some at that exact moment, her pink lips occasionally parting to blow a bubble.

Her letter had been brief—too brief—and he knew that she was feeling and experiencing far more than she was letting on. Ezra Fitz knew Aria Montgomery too well, there was plenty she wasn't saying, and he'd seen right through her the moment he read the letter.

_I'm fine, I'm happy, _she'd written. But beneath the flowery tilt of her script and the crispness of the crème colored stationary, Ezra knew she'd meant _I'm happy that you're happy. _It stung to know she was hurting, but he refused to blame himself. He'd offered her everything, at least in an emotional sense, and she'd shot him down. And he'd be damned if he didn't shrug off her rejection and let himself move on. He'd wasted eleven years of his life on her—he wasn't about to waste another one.

"Babe, I got you a salted one. Is that alright?"

He slipped the letter into the pocket of his jeans and smiled as the woman approached. Her brown hair was twisted into a loose braid, her green eyes were warm, and her lips were curved into a broad grin.

"Salted is fine, Emma."

She sat down next to him on the bench and handed him his pretzel. "They only had one cinnamon left. I figured we could get one of each and split them."

He nodded and broke a piece off of his and popped it into his mouth.

"Ezra?"

He turned to look at her, his hand moving up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Hmmm?"

"What are you thinking about?"

Emma's head tilted to the side just the tiniest fraction of an inch, and Ezra couldn't help but notice for the first time how much she looked like Aria.

He shook his head, and swallowed the piece of pretzel thickly. "Just about how fantastic today has been." And in his heart, he meant it.


	16. Disappointments and Cowardice

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 15**

**Disclaimer: All rights belong to ABC Family and Sara Shepard respectively. I own nothing. **

**Recap: There's a bit of letter writing going on between Ezra and Aria. The only problem is, Aria's not happy with her global expeditions, while Ezra is finally finding that happiness at home in New York. Paul's gotten himself back together too, and is settling into a life with Audrey and Elijah.**

* * *

><p><em>October 2017: Set Fire to the Third Bar by Snow Patrol<em>

** F**or Aria, there was no worse feeling in the world than letting someone down, or vice versa. The best intentions, she'd learned, are always fraught with disappointment. The promise she'd made to Ezra, that she'd keep in touch with him no matter what, had fallen flat. After that first letter, they'd only contacted each other twice more. By the time the last warm days of September gave way to the chill of October, it'd been three weeks since she'd spoken with him.

Of course, as much as she wanted to, Aria couldn't place the blame entirely on herself. Ezra hadn't really gone out of his way to reach her either. He'd sent her two emails, both brief and entirely too short.

_Hope you're doing well, _read one.

_We miss you, _read the other.

Neither were reassuring that she was really all that missed and it hurt to know that she wasn't the integral part of the friendship that she'd hoped she was. Even so, she still lay most of the guilt on herself. She'd been busy, way too busy. She was living in Athens now, writing pieces on the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus and pita bread and seafood and olive oil.

Lena, her friend from Santorini had introduced her to some extended family that was living in Athens and Aria had been staying with them. The Tomaras family was wonderfully welcoming, went out of their way to help the young American woman, and slowly but surely, bit by bit, Aria was picking up the language and the customs.

"You going stare at the moon much longer, Aphrodite?"

Aria giggled and glanced over her shoulder at the sound of the teasing voice. "It's Aria, Christos, not Aphrodite."

The dark haired young man handed her flower and placed his hands on the back of her chair. "Ah, but Aria you are my Aphrodite."

She made a gagging noise and he laughed. "It's getting late. I'm taking you out on the boat tomorrow, remember? We'll be leaving by five."

Aria groaned and tilted her head back to look at him. "But it's already close to one."

Christos nodded and sat down beside her. "I know, that's why I came up here to find you. Everyone else has been asleep for hours. Why aren't you in bed, Aria?"

"Just can't sleep."

He smiled softly and brushed a wisp of hair from her cheek. "You never sleep. Something's bothering you. Care to tell me what it is?"

Aria studied the man for a moment. His skin was tanned from hours in the sun, his hair was dark, nearly black, and the brown of his eyes was nearly indiscernible in the dim light. She was grateful to Lena for introducing her to Christos. He was older, almost thirty-four, but in him and his quiet personality, she'd found a bit of Ezra, and through that an invaluable friend.

She blinked slowly and turned away from him. "I just can't shut my brain off. There's too much to think about, I guess."

He followed the path of her gaze, his eyes landing on the full moon as hers were.

"I suppose I'm homesick." Her voice sounded weak, and Christos reached for her hand. "It's just, I'd always thought of myself as this important person, thought that everyone would always need me. Now that I've been gone for a few months though, I've realized that I'm not. It's like no one notices I'm gone."

Christos frowned and mulled her words over for a minute before responding. "I don't think we're meant to be tied to the same people forever. We grow and change and find our own way. And I'm sure they notice you're gone." He wasn't really sure who _they _were. Aria spoke of a pair of brothers often, but had never really elaborated on why _they _were so important to her. He was certain of one thing though, the older one, the man she spoke about most often, meant the world to her.

She grew quiet and disentangled her fingers from his. "Did you ever notice, Christos, that no matter where you are in the world, the moon is never bigger than your thumb?" She held hers up as if to prove a point and he chuckled softly.

"I never pegged you as the _Dear John _type of girl."

Aria smirked at him. "And I never pegged you as the type of guy who knew what _Dear John _was."

He blushed and bit his lip shyly. "Yeah, well...you can blame Lena for that one."

Aria rolled her eyes and stood up from the chair. "I'm sure I can. I guess I'm going to bed now. Thanks, Christos."

He furrowed his brow. "For what?"

Aria ran a hand through the older man's hair affectionately. "For being a great friend."

"That's what I'm here for, Aphrodite. Always."

She smiled gently and headed back down stairs, her bare feet slapping quietly against the wooden floor.

…**ooo00ooo…**

**S**leep didn't come very quickly that Friday night. Instead, Aria lay in bed, her laptop propped on her knees, surfing the web for something to distract her. She'd been dreaming of Ezra lately, and the only way to prevent the heartbreaking dreams was to not sleep. Out of habit more than anything else, she pulled up her Facebook in the hopes that Paul or Ezra had posted on her wall or sent her a message. They hadn't.

Her mouse hovered over Ezra's name for a minute before clicking on it. Her eyes watered as she read the latest post on his feed.

_Ezra Fitz is in a relationship with Emma Martin. _

So it was true then, he really had found someone else. Her eyes drifted over to his profile picture, and for an odd reason it gave her hope. It was a shot of Ezra, and the woman Aria assumed to be Emma.

She was pretty enough, but everything about her was familiar. The slight curve of her lips, the curl of her brown hair, the arch of her eyebrows. With a small bit of elation, Aria realized that she and Emma bore a striking resemblance to one another. Perhaps Ezra hadn't moved on quite as far as he thought he had.

Heart hammering, Aria scooped up her laptop and flew down the hallway towards Christos's bedroom.

She knocked five times before he answered, a worried frown on his lips.

"Aria," he mumbled sleepily, "what's wrong?"

Aria shoved the laptop in his face and he winced against the harsh glare of the blue light.

"What am I looking at?"

"He still loves me!"

Christos quirked an eyebrow at her. "You woke me up to…never mind. Did you look at the picture, Aria? I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but I'm pretty sure that's another woman he's canoodling with in the picture."

"It is."

He groaned and ran a hand through his messy hair. "I don't understand."

"Look at the picture again. What do you see?"

He took the laptop from her hands and moved towards his bed. "A couple that's happy?"

"No, the girl! Look at the girl."

He studied the woman in the picture for a moment, before glancing up at Aria helplessly.

She huffed and sat down next to him on the bed. "Look at her, then look at me."

He did so and then understanding dawned on his face. "There's a…almost frightening resemblance between you two."

Aria nodded. "Exactly. Do you know what that means?" She didn't even give him a chance to respond. "That means he hasn't moved on. It means that he still loves me. Christos, I have a chance."

He looked at her skeptically. "I don't know, Aria. He looks really happy."

"No, Christos. I know him, and I know how he thinks. He still has feelings for me."

Christos nodded and handed the laptop back to her. "Alright then. What are you going to do about it?"

Her smile faltered and she shut the laptop. She hadn't thought that far ahead. "I'm not sure, Christos. I'm not sure."

…**ooo00ooo…**

**N**early 5000 miles away, and seven hours earlier, Ezra Fitz stood on the rooftop of his apartment building, staring up at the moon. He'd left the warmth of his room almost thirty minutes prior. Things were too crowded down there, and with Elijah shrieking every time Paul tickled him, it was too loud. Emma was working, and he'd been left to his own devices.

His cell phone rested heavily in his left hand, contemplated calling Aria. He was willing to pay the incredible surcharge just to hear her voice. It'd been too long since he'd heard from her. Three weeks to be exact. He didn't blame her though, he blamed himself. He'd gotten so wrapped up in his relationship with Emma, in her vibrancy and zest for life that he'd almost forgotten about Aria.

He couldn't ever entirely forget however. At night, when he lay alone in his bedroom, gazing up at the spinning ceiling fan above, he thought of her. The pictures she'd sent him were beautiful—she was beautiful. Her pale skin had taken on a warm glow after being in the Mediterranean sun for so many hours, and her brown hair was streaked with lighter blonde pieces. The stories he read every Sunday went right along with them, and sometimes if he tried hard enough, he could imagine being there with her.

Ezra didn't try very often though. It hurt to miss her so much, and it was far easier to allow himself to be wrapped up in Emma, happy and loved. With a small sigh, he thumbed through his contacts until he came to Aria's number. He hit send and waited and waited. Finally on the fourth ring, she answered.

"Hello?"

It wasn't healthy the way his heart jumped at the sound of her voice. "I didn't think I'd catch you."

"Well, it's three in the morning here, Ezra. There's not much to do."

"Christ, I'm sorry Aria. Did I wake you?"

"Actually, no. I couldn't sleep. Besides, I wouldn't be upset even if you had. It's been too long."

Ezra moved over towards one of the benches and sat down, his free hand rubbing the back of his neck. "It has, hasn't it? I've just been busy and…time's just slipped away."

"I know what you mean. I don't even know what to say right now."

The line fell silent, and Ezra glanced up at the moon. "What are you doing right now?"

He heard her sigh. "Looking at the moon."

A small chuckled escaped him. "Me too. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah, Ezra. It is."

They were silent again, and both were struggling for the right words to say.

"So…what's new with you?"

Aria giggled at the formality of his question. "The same old same old I guess. Christos is taking me fishing tomorrow, and then I'm going to learn how to dance with his family."

"Who's Christos?"

Aria groaned mentally. She forgot she hadn't told Ezra about Christos before. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was dating someone new. "He's just a friend. Remember the girl I told you about, Lena? Well, she's cousins with him."

Despite himself, Ezra smiled. Maybe Aria wasn't really having as rough of a time as he'd thought she was. Maybe there was no reason for him to feel guilty about moving on, if she'd done the same.

"What about you Ezra? What's happening stateside?"

"The same old, same old. Paul's still with Audrey. God, I wish you could see him with Elijah, Aria. It's amazing. And I'm great I guess. My second novel is coming along really well, and school is well school, and I'm proposing to Emma."

He winced even as he said he. That last part really shouldn't have slipped out.

"You're what?" Aria hated the way his words felt like a sucker punch and hated the squeaky note her voice had taken on.

"I'm umm…proposing?"

"Yeah, wow! I mean, isn't that a little fast. You guys have only been together for…"

"Two and half months, I know. But I—I love her, Aria. Emma…she's the one."

A tear slid down Aria's cheek. Just under three months ago, she'd been _the one. "_Congratulations then? I'm…I'm happy for you, Ezra."

He smile was bittersweet. "Thank you, Aria. That means a lot to me. Listen, I should probably let you get some sleep. I'll talk to you later?"

Aria curled into a ball on her bed and brushed away a few more tears. "Yeah, Ezra. I'll talk to you later." She hung up the phone and tossed it on her nightstand. That was quite possibly the worst conversation of her entire life. There'd been so much to say, so much she should've told him, yet she'd been a coward, afraid to speak up for what she wanted.

Though Aria had sworn she'd never cry herself to sleep over Ezra Fitz again, she did that night, and for the several more nights that followed.


	17. Reunited

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 16**

**Disclaimer: I'd be making millions if I actually owned Pretty Little Liars. As it is though, I don't, and I'm broke. **

**Recap: Aria's staying in Athens. Paul's making himself a family. And Ezra? Well he's proposing…that can't be good.**

* * *

><p><em>November 2017: Rumor Has It by Adele<em>

**A**ria Montgomery was a fairly rational person. She didn't act on impulse, didn't stray too far off the beaten path—at least when it came to the important things—and never took risks. She'd always claimed that the moment she jumped off the deep end and acted without thinking, would be the beginning of the end for her. Yet, as she handed her boarding pass to the flight attendant at Athens International Airport she felt that it was the beginning of a beginning, rather than the beginning of an end.

Thanksgiving Day, as she'd sat alone in her bedroom, munching on a turkey sandwich—a poor substitute for her mother's annual feast—she realized that as hard as she'd tried to be happy in Greece, she wasn't. Stuffing her face with baklava, and spending long days on the water with Christos, and sketching the coastline with Lena, and taking outrageous numbers of pictures had all been great fun, and she wouldn't regret one minute of her adventures. But Greece wasn't home. Greece wasn't New York. And Greece, for all its beauty, didn't have Ezra.

So she packed her bags, called Jones to tell him she was quitting, bid farewell to the Tomaras family, and left on a redeye flight to La Guardia International Airport. It was hasty trip, poorly planned, and she ended up with a three hour layover in Paris because of a freak snowstorm. But it didn't matter. For once in her life, Aria Montgomery was taking the proverbial and deathly frightening leap of faith.

Aria hadn't told anyone she was coming home, and she wasn't quite certain what sort of situation she was walking into. Ezra hadn't gotten in touch with her since his late-night-bombshell-dropping phone call nearly three weeks prior and Paul even longer than that. She wasn't even sure what she was going to say when she got there.

"_Hey guys! I'm back. Ezra dump your girlfriend and get with me?" _Yeah, somehow she was pretty confident that wouldn't fly.

**...ooo00ooo...**

When Aria landed in New York nearly twelve hours after taking off, she didn't have anything better planned. She was tired, she was cranky, she was hungry, she smelled like recycled air, and she was incredibly unprepared for the chill of an East Coast November. Worst of all, it was raining-a full on freakin' downpour, with fifteen mile per hour winds.

The water droplets stung her skin and set her teeth chattering as she stood on the sidewalk to hail a cab. The carry-on bag was dead weight on her shoulder, and the thin material of her yoga pants did little to prevent goose bumps. In short, she was miserable.

But she didn't care. She was home, and a mere twenty minutes away from seeing the man of her dreams. Her plan was still virtually nonexistent, and she shoved any attempt at a speech out of her mind. What ever happened, happened.

That go-getum attitude had faded drastically by the time she stood in front of the door to her old apartment. She'd never been so terrified in her entire life. Her hand trembled as she raised it to knock on the door, and for the first time in her life, she thought she might actually pass out.

Ezra Fitz didn't give her time for that. He'd swung open the door before she'd had a chance to run away. For the first time in almost four months, the two best friends laid eyes upon one another. One was drenched from head to toe, hair frizzing from the heat of the apartment building, and cheeks flushed in embarrassment. The other looked like a gaping fish, jaw hanging open, eyes wide in surprise, and fingers shaking slightly on the door knob.

"Ezra." Her voice was a choked sob, and she dropped her bag to the ground.

He swallowed thickly. "Ar…Aria? What are you doing here? I thought you were…"

She took a shuddery breath and raised her chin. "I quit. This is going to sound completely crazy and so stupid. God, I feel like an idiot right now. I just left, Ezra." A strangled chuckle escaped her and for a moment she was quite certain that she sounded like a raving lunatic. "I came back here for you. And it was so dumb. And I'm probably screwing everything up, but I've been so foolish and stubborn, and God, I hate myself right now. But I love you. I love you so much that I haven't slept in weeks. I flew 5000 miles to tell an engaged man that I'm in love with him and that he can't marry anyone else because I need him with me, and Jesus, I hate myself right now. And Ezra, I…"

She fell silent as he moved towards her, a breathtaking smile curving on his lips. "Aria, you're rambling."

"I…I am?"

He nodded and swept her rain soaked hair away from eyes. "You are."

"Oh, right. Well, umm…" She looked for words, but could find none.

His hand moved down to tilt her chin up towards him, and he brought her gaze to his. "Aria?"

Her stomach lurched. "Yes, Ezra?"

"I'm not engaged." His blue eyes sparkled with some foreign excitement and Aria wasn't really sure what it meant.

"You…You're not?" Her lower lip trembled and his thumb brushed gently over the pink skin.

"I'm not." He smiled again. "Emma said no. We're not even together anymore."

Aria couldn't explain the feeling of relief that washed over her. It was intense, and tear inducing, and the most beautiful statement she'd ever heard. _Guess that saves some ass-kicking. _

Ezra frowned and Aria looked at him worriedly. "Whose ass were you going to kick, Aria?"

Even with all the emotions she was feeling, Aria managed to laugh. She really needed to work on her filter—she hadn't meant that threat to be voiced aloud. "Emma's. I was going to come back here and fight her."

He arched an eyebrow and dropped his forehead to hers. "You, the girl who absolutely hates violence?"

Aria blushed and nodded slightly.

The two fell silent and stared at one another for a long moment.

"I've missed you, Aria."

"I've missed you too, Ezra."

"We're a complete mess aren't we?"

He grinned. "No, we're just complete fools for each other."

She giggled and wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. "I like that. Two stupid fools in love. Ezra, I'm so sorry for everything. If I hadn't been such a screw up we could've…"

And then he was kissing her, his lips full and firm and sure against her own, and she wondered why she'd ever been so absurd as to give up something that felt so right.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So the past fifteen chapters have been building to this moment. I hope all the tears you guys shed, and the completely screwy emotional rollercoaster I put you on was worth it!**


	18. Stuffed Animals and Romance

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 17**

**Disclaimer: These are getting old. I don't actually own Pretty Little Liars. Yeah…how sad is that?**

**Recap: It finally happened! Aria's come to her senses and flew back home to "claim" Ezra as hers. To bad he'd already broken things off with Emma…that would've been one interesting fight.**

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><p><em>December 2017: Back to December by Taylor Swift<em>

**T**here's something obvious about emptiness. A person who is not whole seems just a little bit dimmer, a little bit more like a fly on the wall, and a little bit lost. Everyone notices; everyone except for the person who is empty. Aria hadn't really noticed how empty she felt either-hadn't noticed that the light in her eyes wasn't as bright as it'd been before, hadn't noticed that slowly but surely she was losing weight, hadn't noticed the way she'd lost interest in things she used to love. Or at least she hadn't until Ezra pointed them out.

They were sitting next each other on the couch one early December night. Actually, Aria was more or less curled up to Ezra, his arms circling her small frame, and her head tucked beneath his chin. In front them, _Casablanca _flickered on the television, but the volume was low and neither was paying very close attention.

"You're gaining weight." Ezra's hand slid from her waist down to her hip and back up again.

Aria's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

He furrowed his brow for a minute at her aggravated tone, and then realized his slip up. "I uhh—I wasn't trying to say you were fat or anything, because you're not."

She arched an eyebrow as if daring him to continue.

"I only meant that you're starting to look like yourself again. You're starting to feel like yourself again." He squeezed her side tenderly as if to prove a point.

Aria stared at him in confusion and pulled away a bit. "What are you talking about?"

Ezra licked his bottom lip nervously, a slow look of understanding dawning on his face. "You didn't notice, did you?"

"Notice what?"

"Nothing, it's just—you were so different when you came back. If I hadn't been so glad to see you, I would've been worried. You'd lost weight Aria; you weren't happy."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess I hadn't really noticed. Was it really that bad?"

When Ezra didn't answer, she sighed softly and reclined onto his chest once more. "But I'm happy now." She let out a small giggle and traced his jaw thoughtfully with one finger. "And apparently pudgy. That's all that matters, right?"

He smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple before hugging her tightly. "Yes, Aria. That's all that matters, well except for the pudgy part—because you're not. We're happy, and for me, that's enough."

…**ooo00ooo…**

And for those first few blissful days of being reunited, it was enough. She was happy again. He was happy again. _They were_ happy again. She prattled on about Greece and he talked about what he'd done while she was gone. They ordered in, watched old movies, started sharing a bathroom again, and she went out and bought five boxes of _Fruit Loops. _But it wasn't enough, not nearly.

They avoided the topic of where their relationship stood like it was the plague. Anytime one brought it up, the other quickly shot it down. Both were too afraid to admit how screwed up things between them really were. It was so much easier to pretend that they were just Aria and Ezra, two people in love, two people starting a new relationship without any baggage from the past, and two people who hadn't both suffered heartbreak at the hands of the other only a few months before. The thing about pretending though is that it's a job that should be saved for actors; they were the professionals. Aria and Ezra weren't. And when left to the inexperienced, the façade eventually crumbles and truth comes out.

…**ooo00ooo…**

**F**riday, December 15th was bitterly cold—one for the record books—and it also marked the day Aria and Ezra's relationship changed permanently. It began normally enough. Ezra went to work; Aria lay in until nine, and then got up to run errands—bundled warmly from head to toe of course.

She made chicken noodle soup for dinner, tossed a quick salad together, and warmed up a baguette from the bakery. By six, the dining room table was set for a romantic dinner, the lights had been dimmed, and Aria had changed into a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, a cream colored sweater, and a pair of grey suede ankle boots. She'd just poured herself a glass of wine when the door opened and Ezra stepped in, one hand clutching his brief case, the other brushing snow out of his hair.

"We'll probably have a couple inches by morning." Ezra dropped his bag by the door and turned to look at her. "Wow."

She smiled shyly and moved towards him. "Hey."

"Are we celebrating something I'm not aware of?"

Aria shook her head and helped him unbutton his coat. "No."

"So the table, and the outfit, and…"

She pushed the jacket off his shoulders and hung it on the coat rack near the door. "I just wanted to hear you say 'wow'."

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I like coming home to you." His lips dropped to hers for a short moment, kissing the corner of her mouth tenderly. "So what's for dinner?"

Aria shoved him away playfully and sauntered back over towards the stove. "Is food all you ever think about?"

He shook his head and wrapped his arms around her from behind, nuzzling her neck with his nose and pressing a gentle kiss just below her jaw. "Only sometimes. Most of the time I'm thinking about you."

Aria giggled. "Your nose is cold."

Ezra backed away and helped her dish the soup into two bowls. "Where's Paul?"

Aria shrugged. "Working, I think." The younger Fitz brother hadn't been around much since Aria's return. Between his job at the hospital and his commitment to Audrey, Paul's time was spread thin.

"Any idea what time he'll be back?"

"Probably late. He hasn't been home before eleven any night this week."

"So it's just the two of us then?"

Aria sat down at the table, one leg curling beneath her, and the other stretching out to play footsie with Ezra beneath the table. "Yeah, why?"

"No reason really, I've just been thinking…"

Aria's spoon froze midway to her mouth. Thinking, at least used in the context Ezra had just mentioned it in, could never be good. "Thinking about what?"

"About us."

Aria dropped her spoon in her bowl. This was definitely not good. "What…what about us?"

"Do you ever wonder about the future, Aria? I mean, where do you see yourself five years down the road, ten years down the road?"

"Well, I umm…I guess I haven't thought about it too much. I'd like to be writing of course, and married, I suppose. Maybe a kid or two?"

She looked at him uncertainly from across the table, taking note of the neutral expression he wore with a sinking feeling.

"Do you see yourself with me?"

Aria nearly choked on the sip of water she'd been drinking. He wasn't going to propose marriage—was he? "Yes, I mean I'd like to think so. But we can't really predict the future can we? I mean we could…"

"Aria." He moved around the table to sit beside her. "Are you talking yourself into this or out of it? Because I'm pretty sure I can't take you leaving again."

"In, of course, but Ezra, what exactly are we? We haven't really talked about it since I came back, and I—I'm just not really sure where we stand."

He sighed softly and slid a hand beneath her chin gently. "Well, let's review." Ezra grinned and brushed his thumb tenderly over her cheek. "I love you, and you love me, and we want to be together. I'd say that makes us a couple, wouldn't you?"

Aria nodded and kissed his palm. "I'd like that. Me and you, forever."

"Forever."

"Is that all you were thinking about?"

Ezra shook his head. "Not really, but it helps a lot with what I wanted to ask you."

Aria bit her lip nervously and sucked in a breath. If he proposed marriage…

"I think we should move in together."

The air she'd been holding flew out of her with a whoosh. That was all he'd wanted? "Ezra, we're already living together."

"No, we're sharing an apartment with my little brother, who by the way is not even here all that often. I want us to get our own place. Paul's planning on moving in with Audrey soon anyway. What do you say? Feel like shacking up with me?"

Aria groaned and smirked at him. "As long as you promise never to say "shacking up" again."

Ezra laughed and leaned forward to kiss her. "Deal.." His hands slid over her hips and gave a small tug, pulling her onto his lap.

"Mmm." She pressed her lips against his once more before pulling away. "Ezra?"

"Hmm?" He slipped a hand beneath her sweater, his fingers drawing small circles over the skin of her lower back.

"Dinner's getting cold."

With a regretful sigh he leaned back and let her return to her own seat.

…**ooo00ooo…**

**L**ater that evening, long after Ezra had gone to bed, Aria sat alone in the living room, staring off into space. Her laptop was cradled between her legs, the blue light shifting every so often as her screensaver changed. She couldn't sleep…again.

Unlike things had been in Greece however, Aria couldn't pinpoint exactly what was keeping her up. She and Ezra had finally sorted things out, where they stood with one another had been clearly defined, and yet she still felt like something was missing. In her opinion, there was still much that remained to be said. She'd said 'I'm sorry' countless times since being back, yet the words never seemed to be enough for the heartbreak she'd caused. Aria wasn't really sure if there really was a way she could atone for what she'd done, but she was ready to spend a lifetime trying.

She arched her back and stretched before pulling Facebook up on her computer. A small smile crossed her lips as she checked the small box labeled 'in a relationship'. It felt good not to be single. More importantly, it felt good to be with Ezra again.

The click as the front door unlocked startled her, and she glanced up in surprise as Paul stepped into the apartment.

"Geez you scared me."

Paul flipped on the kitchen light and tossed his keys on the counter. "Sorry. What are you still doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep. I didn't think you'd be home tonight."

"Yeah, well the supervisor kicked me out. He told me I needed to take tomorrow off. I figured I'd come home and catch some shut eye before heading over to Audrey's tomorrow. You and Ezra want to come with?"

"Sure. I'd like to see her again. What'd you have in mind?"

"I was thinking Toy R' Us since it's so close to Christmas—let Eli pick a few things out. Then maybe pizza or something?"

"Sounds good. Are you hungry? There's some leftovers in the fridge."

"I'm fine. I think I'll just turn in. You probably should get some sleep too."

"I will soon. I just need to finish up a few things."

He headed back towards his bedroom, but paused just before shutting his door. "Hey, Aria?"

She glanced up from her computer to look at him. "Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're back, kid. Things just weren't the same without you."

Aria smiled. "I'm glad to be back too, Paul. Goodnight."

"Night."

He shut his door and Aria slumped against the couch. She had a pretty good feeling she wouldn't be sleeping at all.

…**ooo00ooo…**

** T**here were only a few things Ezra Fitz hated more than waking up. Waking up alone was pretty close to the top of his hate list. Instinctively, he slid an arm all the way to the edge of his mattress, and groaned when his hand met only with the crumpled bed sheet. Somehow Aria always went to bed with him, yet every morning she was gone. The first few times it happened, he'd panicked. His biggest fear was losing her again, and even worse was the possibility that she'd slip away in the middle of the night like a bittersweet dream. But without fail, she was always curled up on the couch, a throw blanket tangled between her legs and a small pillow wedged under her head. He knew it wasn't comfortable, and couldn't help but wonder why she relocated herself every night. It didn't make any sense.

Ezra blinked a few times to clear his sleep-blurred eyes before reaching for his phones.

_One new notification-Aria Montgomery has requested to be in a relationship with you. _

He chuckled quietly—well that was something. A glance at the clock confirmed that it was almost eight and he rolled out of bed to get a cup of coffee. As much as he wanted to, there were papers he had to mark, a visit to the gym to make, and a very confusing girlfriend to figure out.

Those plans went to hell when said girlfriend tackled him as he emerged from his bedroom, a large grin on her face and her dark brown curls flying in all directions.

"Guess what?"

He laughed and pulled her into a tight hug. "What?"

"Read this!" She thrust a copy of the New York Times into his face.

He released her so he could glance at the paper, his eyes skimming over the various columns.

"What exactly am I looking for?"

She smirked and pointed to the lower left hand column.

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Holy crap!"

She nodded. "That's exactly what I said."

There, on the front page of the arts section of the New York Times, was a review of Ezra's book.

"They're calling it superb. It says you'll probably be on the best seller list by January."

"Holy crap."

Aria laughed and smiled up at him. "My boyfriend: the world famous author."

He rolled his eyes and folded the paper carefully. "This is most definitely a good morning."

"I think we should celebrate. Breakfast on me in twenty?"

He nodded, still a bit dumbstruck by what he'd just read. "They called the book flawless."

Aria stood on her tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

Ezra grinned and pressed his lips against hers gently. "A celebration is definitely called for, but the French toast is on me."

…**ooo00ooo…**

** A**ria didn't really believe in miracles. Everything happened for a reason, and that's just how life was. But later that afternoon, as she watched Paul piggyback Elijah around all four floors of the Toys R' Us in Times Square, she witnessed one. Ezra claimed that Paul was a changed man. She now believed him.

It was a side of Paul Aria had never seen. He was so carefree and gentle and considerate. She thought that it would've been painful for her to watch him with any other woman but Hanna, but after seeing him bond with Audrey and Elijah, it seemed the most natural thing in the world.

"How about a giraffe?" Paul held up the plush toy for Elijah's inspection, then tossed it back into the pile after the little boy shook his head. "What about…a dragon?"

Another head shake.

"A dinosaur?"

No again.

"A dog?"

"No, Paulie! I want a penguin."

Aria laughed as Paul picked up three different stuffed animal penguins at once and held them up for Elijah's inspection.

"Are they always like this?" Aria smiled and turned to look at Audrey.

"Most days. The only time it's quiet is when they're both asleep."

The two women laughed, and Audrey pushed forward to pull Elijah off Paul's back.

"Alright, boys. I think five different stuffed animals is enough. Santa Claus will be here soon."

"Just one more, Mommy? Please?"

Audrey ruffled her son's hair playfully. "Fine, but just one. Then we can go get pizza."

Elijah giggled gleefully and barreled headfirst into the mountain of stuffed animals, while Audrey slid beneath Paul's arm. "Thank you."

He kissed her forehead. "For what?"

"For being the most amazing man on the planet."

A few feet away, Aria watched the tender exchange and smiled indulgently. It was good to see her best friend so happy again.

"What's that Cheshire cat grin for?"

Aria jumped a little as Ezra slipped his hand into hers. "Nothing, they're just so happy. It makes me want one."

Ezra glanced down at her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Makes you want what, a stuffed animal?"

She shook her head. "No, a family."

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><p><strong>AN: It's great to have them back together, isn't it? My promise that there will be no pregnancies still holds…even with that last line.**

**Check out my blog for updates and spoilers for upcoming chapters. We're in the home stretch!**

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**_If we ever meet again…._**


	19. A Love Nest

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 18**

**Disclaimer: Pretty Little Liars doesn't belong to me. All rights belong to Sara Shepard and ABC Family respectively.**

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><p><strong>Recap: Things have just been...perfect. Aria's happy. Ezra's happy. Paul's happy. The whole world might as well be happy. Now our lovers are moving into their own place...can things stay so perfect once they're truly on their own?<strong>

allthingstv242: Emma may make another appearance. I haven't really decided yet.

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><p><em>January 2018: Love Remains the Same<em>

_Friday the 17th_

Everything in life is temporary, because everything in life changes. Looking back, Aria Montgomery had never really been a person that believed things could last forever. She'd seen too many fallouts, too many marriages crumble to pieces, too many people die or move away. Nothing had ever really been static in her life, and she certainly didn't buy the idea of forever—at least not until she fell head first for the guy of her dreams.

She couldn't pinpoint exactly when it'd happened. There'd been no one defining moment, no one instant that created a 180 turn in her outlook on things, but somewhere along the line, sometime over the course of a nearly two decade long friendship it'd happened. She was, irrevocably and without a doubt, madly in love with one Ezra Fitz.

"You've got that look on your face again."

Aria grinned and turned away from the window to look at Ezra. "What look?"

"That look that says _I'm a million miles away right now._ So, where were you?"

She laughed and hopped down off the stack of boxes she'd been sitting on. "Wouldn't you like to know? Did we get everything?" Aria turned in a small circle, hands on her hips, and surveyed Ezra's now empty bedroom.

"I think so, although you didn't actually do much of the packing."

She shrugged. "Well I was busy."

He scoffed and wrapped her in a tight hug. "Busy doing what, staring off into space?"

"Busy thinking about you."

Ezra smirked. "Exactly what about me were you thinking?"

She tipped her head to the side thoughtfully and a sly smile curved on her lips. "Oh, I don't know…just some things. If we finish up here soon, I might tell you later."

He nodded and loosened his grip from around her waist. "Fine, but I'll hold you to that. Now come on, we still have your monster of a closet to tackle."

"Hey, it's not a monster. I prefer to think of it as the most magical place on the planet."

Ezra rolled his eyes and tugged her out of his bedroom. "Yeah, somebody definitely had too much to drink last night at Paul's birthday party."

"Hey! I only had two drinks." She was giggling even as she spoke, and knew that he had a point.

"Right. Was that before or after you passed out in the cab?" He smirked and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Now come on, silly girl. Audrey and Paul are going to be here soon with her stuff. We need to go before they get here."

…**ooo00ooo…**

** T**hree hours later, Aria and Ezra were seated on the floor of their new apartment, Chinese takeout containers and chopsticks in hand. Boxes were stacked around them, creating a fort of sorts, and music drifted softly from Aria's iPod dock.

"You know, if I wasn't so sore from moving things around all day, this might actually be kind of romantic."

Aria giggled and popped another bite of orange chicken into her mouth. "Yeah, cardboard, hard wood floors, and no furniture is so romantic."

He arched an eyebrow at her and set his box of food on the floor. "Well you never know, maybe if we shift things around a little bit," he pushed the containers of food out of the way and pulled her onto his lap, "and get a little closer together." Ezra kissed Aria's neck and slid his hands beneath the fabric of her sweatshirt.

She sighed contently and leaned back against him. "Yeah, I'm listening…"

"And find some way to get you out of the bad mood you've been in all day." The hands around her waist tightened, the action tickling Aria's sides and sending her into peals of laughter.

"No! Stop…that…tickles." She pushed him backwards, knocking him into the closest box. His back hit the floor with a loud 'umph' and he groaned softly.

"Ezra, are you okay? I'm so sorry. I…" She trailed off her apologetic spiel as he started to chuckle.

"You know on second thought, we really need to get some furniture." He pulled her down next to him, his lips meeting hers briefly.

"Well, we have a bed. It's just, " her eyes scanned the living room of the apartment, "in pieces at the moment. If we put it together, we'll have somewhere to sleep tonight."

"Mmm." He hummed slightly in acknowledgement. "You know, I'm sort of tired. This floor is actually starting to feel pretty good." Ezra sighed as his muscles relaxed for the first time that day. His comfort however, was cut short by a firm swat on the arm from Aria and a stern 'absolutely not' as she scrambled up from beside him and headed over to where the mattress rested against the wall.

"We're sleeping on a bed, mister. Don't make me put it together myself, because then you will most definitely sleeping on the floor..and not just for tonight either."

With a groan, Ezra heaved himself up. "You're bossy, you know that?"

She smiled and kissed him softly. "And I love you, you know that?"

Ezra melted then, any frustration and fatigue forgotten because of her tender words. "I love you too, Aria. Why don't you find some sheets while I put this together in the bedroom."

"Sure you don't need help?"

He shook his head. "Nope, I've got it. Besides, things will go faster this way."

With one final kiss, Aria skipped off to rummage in the boxes for bedding and Ezra sighed softly—that woman had a seemingly inexhaustible amount of energy.

…**ooo00ooo…**

Paul Fitz hadn't counted on anything after Hanna's death. Nothing was taken for granted, and no day went by without him thinking of her. Yet that Friday evening, as he listened to Audrey tuck Elijah into his new bedroom, he realized that he hadn't thought of her once the entire day. He'd been so preoccupied with making sure that the move went smoothly, with making sure that Audrey and Elijah were happy that he didn't spare two minutes for himself. Now that he had them, he couldn't help but wonder if he'd finally reached a point in his life where thinking of his former fiancée didn't hurt so much.

He'd always loved her. She'd been his first girlfriend, his first true love. And prior to everything he'd previously believed, Paul found himself contemplating whether or not a person has only one true love, or if every individual can have multiple soul mates throughout a lifetime. He knew that people such Aria and Ezra were it for each other—there could never be anyone else. But for others like him, he wondered if perhaps there was hope that he'd find love again—and perhaps he already had.

"He's finally asleep."

Paul looked up at Audrey and smiled as she sat down beside him. "Well, it's been a long day. I'm surprised he didn't pass out before now."

She laughed softly and curled up against him on the couch. "Thank you."

He kissed her forehead and interlaced her fingers with his. "For what?"

She grinned brilliantly. "Everything."

Somehow, Paul was pretty certain everything was going to be alright. Six months prior, when he pulled a little boy, blue in the lips, from the Atlantic, he hadn't counted a family. But now, as he rested his chin on Audrey's head and listened to her recount a crazy tale Elijah had told her earlier in the day, he wouldn't have had things any other way.

**...ooo00ooo…**

Aria's first thought upon waking the first morning in her new apartment was that she needed to invest in curtains that blocked the morning sun. The second was that she was currently wrapped around a very warm and very handsome, sleeping Ezra Fitz. For a few quiet moments, she watched his chest rise and fall softly beneath the sheet, and felt his strong heartbeat beneath her left palm.

There'd been very few quiet moments like this since her return. There'd been Paul or Audrey or Elijah, or work, or her ridiculous insomnia keeping them apart. She'd missed waking up next to someone. It was so much nicer, so much softer to wake up comfortable and feeling loved. Silently, she cursed herself for ever being foolish enough to give moments like those up for the better part of a year—she wasn't really sure if she'd ever not regret breaking things off as she had. But there were only so many times she could apologize, and he'd already forgiven her. There wasn't much else she could do to lighten her emotional burden.

Aria pressed a soft kiss to his bare shoulder, and drew her hand down his chest and back up again. "Ezra?"

He gave a low groan and pulled her closer to him, burying his face in her hair. " Good morning, babe."

She smiled against his skin and started peppering kisses up his neck. "I've missed waking up with you."

"Mmm. It's nice, isn't it?"

She laughed at the rough note of sleep in his voice before pulling away to tug her t-shirt over her head. His gaze met hers for the first time that morning as he cracked one eye open at her.

"What are you doing?"

She smirked and lay back down, burrowing back into his snug embrace. "Just getting comfortable."

Suddenly, Ezra Fitz was very much awake. With a laugh he rolled on top of her, propping himself up on his forearms to glance at her. "Is that right?"

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Yes. I was thinking, you know now that we're settled in our own place and all…"

"Yes?" He arched an eyebrow at her before leaning down to kiss her, his lips following a slow path along her jaw.

"Since we're by ourselves, and well, it is kind of cold, and…"

He chuckled again before sliding one hand behind her back to unclasp her bra. "Aria Montgomery, are you trying to seduce me?"

She grinned smugly and arched up to kiss him. "Is it working?"

"I'd say you're doing a pretty good job." Ezra smiled and tugged the blanket up over their heads.

It was most certainly a good morning.

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><p><strong>AN: Yeah, another cute and fluffy chapter. Is anyone else getting a bit sick of all this happiness?**

Don't forget about the challenge! The link is up on my profile under homepage.

Oh, and if you finish this sentence you get uber brownie points. (It's for a new story idea I'm working on)

_If we ever meet again..._


	20. When Doubt Gets the Best of Us

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 19**

**Disclaimer: I don't Pretty Little Liars. Never Will. All rights belong to Sara Shepard and ABC Family Shepard respectively.**

**Recap: Aria and Ezra have built their own little love nest. Paul's got a brood of his own now too, with Audrey and Elijah living with him. But can these individual spheres of domestic bliss continue to exist?**

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><p><em>February 2018: Collide by Howie Day<em>

** D**oubt is a traitorous thing. It lurks in the background, circling every situation like a cougar waiting to pounce. It's quiet, and when it strikes, it's often deadly. Aria Montgomery thought she'd learned to control the demon of doubt well, yet somehow on the eve of Valentine's Day, nearly a month and a half after she'd moved in with Ezra, it crept up on her—and very nearly destroyed the relationship she held so dear.

As the review in the New York Times had predicted, Ezra's book made the best sellers list, and by the end of January at that. In the weeks that followed, he spent his time between book signings, and writing a second novel—translation: no time with Aria. To make matters worse, the publishing company decided that since their new young writer had risen to fame so quickly and without much advertisement on their part, he should have a party in celebration of his success. Ezra hated the idea. He hated the fact that he had to put on a suit, and play friends with a roomful of people he'd never really met.

"Remind me again why I'm going?" Ezra groaned and tossed the bowtie he'd been attempting to put on towards the bed. It fell short and landed at Aria's feet instead.

She gave a small laugh and bent to retrieve it. "Because you're a national bestselling author. Your people demand it." Aria turned him towards her and reached up to place the bowtie around his neck. "Besides it's only for a few hours."

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Sure you can't make it?" His forehead dropped to hers and he kissed her temple softly.

"I wish. Maybe if this interview dinner doesn't run too long I can come by and be there towards the end. I'll try my best though; I promise."

Ezra sighed heavily and glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. "I've got to get going soon. You want to take a cab together? The restaurant is a only a few blocks from the venue of the party. I know I've been pretty busy lately, and I…"

But then Aria was kissing him and he lost his train of thought. Finally after several breathless moments she pulled away, her heels making a soft click as she sank back down onto her feet. "I'd love to. Just let me get dressed and we can go."

Ezra reluctantly let her go. "You know, I kind of like those shorts, and my shirt doesn't look half bad on you either."

Aria giggled and shoved him away playfully so she could get to the closet. "Hush. You'd have me in your shirts all the time if it were possible. Besides, I don't think the editors at The New Yorker will appreciate a journalist who can't even dress herself." She thumbed through her dresses and pulled out a light grey sweater dress, a thick pair of black tights, and a pair of red suede ankle boots. Aria tossed them on the bed and started to unbutton the dress shirt of Ezra's that she'd slipped on after their late afternoon rendezvous beneath the blankets. She shivered a bit as the material fell from her shoulders and her skin was exposed to the cool air of the apartment.

"Ezra could you turn up the heat a little bit? It's freezing in here!" She heard his heavy footsteps behind her and jumped a bit as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Better?"

"Mhmm, but at this rate we'll never be on time." AAAria sighed lightly as his hands skimmed down over her waist and settled on her hips.

Ezra chuckled and traced a feather light trail with one fingertip down her spine. "Are we ever? You know," he placed a few heated kisses on her bare shoulder, "I think there's something I like you in even better than my shirts."

"Oh? What is that?"

He chuckled and swept her hair to one side, using his free hand to pull closer. "Yeah, nothing."

She giggled and turned in his arms to face him. "You're ruthless!"

"But you love me anyway." He grinned and kissed her quickly.

"That I do. Now, why don't you go get our coats? We really need to leave soon."

He kissed her one last time and then headed out of the bedroom, a light bounce in his step. Maybe the evening wouldn't be so bad—he always had after the party to look forward to.

…**ooo00ooo…**

** T**wo hours later, Aria was quite certain she'd gotten the job. Granted, she had a feeling that the editor had paid more attention to her looks than her resume, but at the moment, she'd take whatever work she could get. Ezra had already tried to get her to stay home, claiming that he made plenty for the two of them to live comfortably, but the independent streak in Aria refused to let him support her. She was one half of the relationship, and therefore was going to bring in one half of the income.

Nearly giddy with the prospect of being a working woman again, Aria practically ran the few blocks towards the hotel where Ezra's party was being held. She paused only before entering the banquet hall, glancing in one of the mirrors to make sure her hair and makeup were still intact. Satisfied with her appearance, she stepped into the room. Her jaw nearly dropped as she took in the sheer number of people gathered—there had to be more than one hundred milling about the room!

"Aria!"

She grinned as she spied Audrey and Paul seated over at one of the tables. Her steps were quick but careful as she moved towards them, doing her best not to jostle anyone else as she did so. "Hey guys! Where's Mr. Millionaire?"

Paul laughed and embraced her warmly. "I don't know. He's supposed to be giving a speech in about fifteen minutes. We were going to leave, Elijah's been sick you know, and we don't want to leave him with the babysitter for too long, but Ezra's hilarious to watch when he's speaking in public."

Aria laughed and sat down next to Audrey. "It is pretty funny isn't it? I mean, you'd think he'd be better since he's a teacher."

"If he's as bad as the two of you are making him sound, I'm not sure if I want to watch this. It sounds painful."

Paul and Aria met each other's stares across the table and grinned like idiots before glancing over at Audrey. "Oh, it is, my dear. Just you wait. He'll be redder than Aria's shoes."

Aria made small talk with the couple for a few minutes, her gaze lifting every so often to scan the room for Ezra. When she finally found him, standing towards the back of the room talking to an elderly gentleman, she excused herself and wandered towards him.

An affectionate smile curved on her lips as she watched him talk—he seemed so much more relaxed than he had when they'd left the apartment earlier in the evening. Of course, that was more than likely due to the tumbler of scotch he held in his hand.

She was only a few feet away when a woman in a deep purple dress caught her eye. It appeared that she was heading for Ezra too. Aria slowed her steps, her eyes traveling over the woman's features. Brown hair, petite stature, perfectly arched eyebrows— and with a sinking feeling, Aria realized it was Emma.

Time seemed to stand still as Aria watched Emma embrace Ezra warmly, and then place a gentle hand on the swell of her stomach. That was most definitely not a bit of weight left over from the holidays—it was clearly, and unmistakably, a baby bump. Her stomach lurched, and her heart raced. It was too hot, too crowded, she needed air. But then Ezra saw her, his grin broadening as he waved her over.

Her steps were heavy as she walked towards him, her head throbbing and her pulse racing. Aria fought the urge to bolt, to flee the room and never look back. But Ezra's warm gaze kept her moving, and his lips as they brushed her forehead were only slightly reassuring.

"Aria, this is Emma."

She nodded and choked out a polite, "Hello."

"It's nice to finally meet you. Ezra's told me so much about you." Emma's hand moved in a small circle over her stomach, and Aria tried to puzzle out exactly how far along Emma was. She wasn't that large, maybe no more than four or five months—six if the baby was really small. Aria felt faint as she did the math—even if she was four months pregnant, that meant it could still be Ezra's.

"Oh, I…I umm, could you excuse me for a moment." And without so much as another glance at Ezra she bolted, her stride long and fast as she fled the banquet room. The frigid February air was shocking and knocked the breath out of her. Yet it was exactly what she needed. Even in the thirty degree weather, she still felt overheated.

"Aria!"

She turned at the sound of Audrey's voice and tears stung her eyes.

"Aria? Are you okay? Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Gentle arms hugged her and Aria struggled to maintain her composure. "Did you see her?"

"See who?" Audrey led her back inside the building, and pulled her into the women's restroom. "Emma? Did you see her? She's freaking pregnant, Audrey!"

"Pregnant?"

"Yes, and she was with him, and I…I just don't understand why he didn't tell me."

"Wait, you think it's Ezra's?"

"Who else's would it be? I mean, she can't be that far along and if you do the math. Oh God, Audrey. What do I do?"

Aria leaned against the counter and brushed a few tears from her eyes. "Audrey, what do I do?"

"Well, I don't know much about their relationship, Aria. I only met her a handful of times. But knowing Ezra, I'm sure he would've told you. And as for what to do, you're going to pull yourself together and come back with me. It won't do you any good to sit alone at the apartment and freak yourself out."

Aria couldn't pinpoint it, but there was something in Audrey that was so like Hanna. Perhaps it was the tough love, or the way she knew exactly what to say, but Aria found herself liking the young woman more.

"You're right. Just give me a few minutes, alright?"

Audrey hugged her briefly and then pulled the bathroom door open. "Okay, but if you're not back in that room in ten minutes, I'm coming after you."

Aria forced a small smile and nodded. "I'll be there."

…**ooo00ooo…**

** A**nd seven minutes later she was. Her smudged mascara had been wiped away, and though her throat was sore from unshed tears, she looked put together. Paul gave her hand a supportive squeeze as she took her seat next to him. He wasn't really sure why she was upset, though if he had to guess, his money was on Emma.

"Finally, I'd like to thank Aria Montgomery. Without her love, support, and continuing inspiration, the book wouldn't be here. I love you, babe."

The room erupted into applause as Ezra stepped away from the podium and moved off the stage. He gave a final wave, said a few words to those seated closest to him, and then caught Aria's eye. Even in her lousy state, she couldn't help but blush and give him a small smile. She may've been jealous and entirely confused, but she still loved him more than anything. He gave her a worried frown and jerked his head towards a side door. She nodded, and he left the room. Aria followed a few moments later.

…**ooo00ooo…**

** E**zra Fitz didn't like public speaking. Usually it made him nervous, sent his pulse into a flying panic, and left him sweating as if he'd just run the New York Marathon. But even he had to admit that the evening had gone pretty fairly, all things considered—well, except for Aria.

He wasn't sure what'd gone wrong. One minute she'd been in his arms smiling, and the next she was gone. He'd tried to go after her, but Audrey beat him to it, claiming that it was more than likely a 'girl thing'—whatever the hell that meant—and that he needed to stay and give his speech.

So he had. He'd stayed and talked to a room full of strangers while his girlfriend was off god-knows-where and upset over god-knew-what. He felt like the worst boyfriend on the planet. But then she'd come back in, albeit sad and clearly distressed, and he found himself feeling a bit better—maybe the problem wasn't all that bad.

"Hey."

Ezra was jerked out of his thoughts by Aria's quiet whisper, and he whirled to face her, one hand flying instinctively to her face. "Hey, are you alright? What happened earlier? If you're not feeling well…"

She pulled away from him, and it was such cold and unnatural action for her that Ezra's heart quickly sank…so something_ was _wrong. "I'm not sick."

"Oh, well what's wrong then? Did I do something?"

Aria shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know. You tell me, did you?"

He frowned and tipped her chin up towards him with one finger. "What are you talking about?"

She turned away and bit her lip, and though it could've just been a trick of the light, Ezra swore he saw tears in her eyes.

"Aria."

She still refused to meet his stare.

"Come on, talk to me." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Aria, I can't fix this if you don't tell me what I did."

"Emma. You did Emma."

He flinched at the harsh note in her voice.

"Did it not occur to you to tell me that she was pregnant? I mean, it seems logical to tell your girlfriend that you're having a child with another woman!"

Ezra furrowed his brow in confusion. What the hell was she talking about? And then it hit him. He should've known Aria would jump to conclusions. She always had, always did. "Wait, you think that Emma's baby is mine?"

"Of course. I mean, do the math Ezra. Who were you with five or six months ago? It certainly wasn't me! How long have you known? Were you planning on telling me, or did you just plan on surprising me one day when she showed up with a baby in her arms? I just—I'm so confused and I want… "

"I never slept with her."

Aria's jaw snapped shut at his statement, her eyes widening in regret. "Oh. I…I'm sorry. I just assumed…"

Ezra chuckled and took her hand. "You know what they say about assuming." He grew serious and tugged her a bit closer. "Do you really trust me so little?"

His eyes flickered closed in pain and Aria deeply mourned her angry words; of course he would've told her. "I just saw her and then you and I…I panicked. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to ruin the evening."

Ezra looked at her again, noticed the guilt in her voice, and instantly lost any and all frustration he had. "You didn't ruin anything, Aria. I only wish you'd asked me about it before jumping to wild conclusions." He drew her into a warm embrace, his fingers running softly through her hair. "What do you say about getting out of here? We could go home and I could get out of this monkey suit, and…"

She giggled then, albeit a little tensely. "Shouldn't we stay? The party's not over yet."

He shook his head and stepped back. "They won't miss me. I've done my part."

She nodded, and took his hand. "Alright. Let's just say goodbye to Paul and Audrey first. And Ezra?"

He glanced down at her, a soft smile on his lips. "Yeah?"

"I really am sorry."

Ezra kissed her tenderly in response. "I know you are, Aria. I know you are."

…**ooo00ooo…**

** D**oubt was a traitorous thing, but it wasn't an impossible enemy. Late that night, as Aria lay in bed with Ezra, his hands tracing small circles on the bare skin of her back, she knew she'd defeated it—at least for the moment. There'd never be a complete safeguard against it, and she couldn't say for sure that she'd never let it get the best of her again, but for the moment she was satisfied.

"Happy Valentine's Day." Ezra pressed a warm kiss to her bare shoulder and rolled her to face him.

"Mhmm. Happy Valentine's Day." She glanced over at the clock, 12:02, it'd been Valentine's Day for all of two minutes. "I love you."

He smiled and turned off the lamp. "I love you, too, Aria."

They were silent for a few minutes, both of them wrapped up in their own thoughts.

"Why didn't you?"

Ezra frowned and propped himself up onto one elbow. "Why didn't I what?"

"Sleep with Emma. Why didn't you sleep with Emma?"

He laughed then, a grin spreading over his lips as he watched confusion wrinkle her brow. "What are you laughing at?"

Ezra leaned down to kiss her, his lips brushing against hers softly. "You. Do you really want to have a conversation about my sexual relationships with other women?"

She giggled then and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. "No, I guess not."

"Good, because I don't want to either."

They were silent again for a long while, and Ezra found himself wondering what Aria was up to. It wasn't until she murmured a quiet 'love you,' and sighed softly that he realized she'd fallen asleep. With another quiet chuckle, Ezra lay down beside her, pulling her close to him. The night, for all its drama and worries, hadn't turned out so bad after all.

…**ooo00ooo…**


	21. A Little Bit of the Sweet Stuff

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 20**

**Disclaimer: If we ever meet again…Pretty Little Liars will be mine. Yeah, not going to happen. But one can always hope, right? I own nothing…not kidding you. My car doesn't even belong to me. Pretty Little Liars and its characters belong to Sara Shepard and ABC Family respectively.**

**You guys should all give a special thanks to .soprano. without her, this fanfic wouldn't be possible. **

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><p><em>March 2018: She Is Love by Parachute<em>

Loving someone is a funny thing. Sometimes it's wonderful, so easy to let the feeling take over and consume everything. It's like the richest dark chocolate—smooth, sweet, and endorphin inducing. Other times, it's complex, and can even be more confusing than life itself, and extremely sour like a Warhead (think apple or blue raspberry) rather than a sweet chunk of chocolate. It's tart and painful when it's not consumed carefully. And when the sour is gone and only the sugary core remains, it's an unsatisfying taste—bland and even slightly unpleasant.

Aria Montgomery was a chocoholic; she couldn't get enough of the dark stuff. But as the romance of February faded into the temperamental days of March, she found herself wondering if perhaps she should switch to something a little more bitter. Her love life, as it stood at the moment, was like the core of the Warhead—unfulfilling and oddly painful.

Or, as she thought about it, maybe it wasn't even like a piece of candy. Maybe it didn't exist anymore at all. It certainly wouldn't be a stretch to say that her relationship with Ezra was rather lifeless. They rarely saw each other, and when they did, it was usually in passing. His book, which she'd first viewed as the greatest of blessings, quickly became a burden. She'd trade all the bestselling novels in the world to have her boyfriend back—even if it were only for a few brief moments.

Ezra's days grew with the time change. Apparently, a few extra hours of sunlight meant a few extra hours of writing and book signing and lecturing. He'd even quit teaching to work on his next book. And as Ezra drifted farther from home, bonding more with his publishing agent and editor than Aria, she too began to stray from the sanctuary of their little apartment. She took on more of a work load, both writing, and editing for the New Yorker. The way she figured it, there was no sense in sitting alone at home—for the apartment was truly just an empty collection of rooms without someone to really share the space with.

It was close to midnight when she finally got home on Friday, March 12th. The lights were off in the apartment, and with a sad sigh, she stepped out of her stilettos and set her purse on the counter. By all appearances, Ezra wasn't home yet. He'd flown out to Chicago three days prior. There'd been one phone call yesterday, and then nothing. She couldn't blame him for lack of communication—he was busy—or at least that's what she kept telling herself.

Aria didn't bother with dinner or with a shower or with turning on any lights, she just stripped out of her pencil skirt and silk blouse and flopped down on the bed.

"Oof."

Her eyes widened in surprise as her head collided with something hard. Last time she'd checked, her pillow wasn't made of bricks, and it definitely didn't talk. "Ezra?" She couldn't keep excitement out of her voice. Having him home, in _their _bed, and at the _same time _was better than any Christmas gift, and that's how she felt—like a child on Christmas morning. "You're back!" Aria slid a hand up his chest, feeling in the dark for his face. She cupped his cheek and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "I missed you."

He chuckled and pulled her closer, his lips brushing against hers as he spoke. "I missed you, too. I thought you'd be home earlier though. You're phone wasn't on when I called."

"Sorry, it died this afternoon…forgot to charge it." She pressed herself against him, her hands trailing over his upper torso just to prove that he was actually there with her, that he wasn't some figment of her imagination like he'd been every other night for the past week. "How was Chicago?"

"Windy and rainy and cold. Of course, the weather isn't much better here."

She laughed and lay back on the pillows. "When did you get back?"

"About four. I switched to an earlier flight, thinking I'd get to see you sooner. Did something happen at work?"

Aria shook her head. "No, I just don't like being here alone. Figured I'd get ahead and kill sometime. I didn't think you'd be home until tomorrow morning." She sighed happily and drew his arms around her. "Are you home for awhile now?"

Even as she asked the question, she knew what the answer would be—it was always the same. _No, _he'd whisper, _I've got to leave tomorrow or the day after. I'm sorry. _Aria had always been a big believer in forgiveness, in the power of sorry, but as it became a common phrase in the Fitz-Montgomery household, she began to accept it less and less. She understood he was sorry, of course, but those two words never made up for his absence. Nothing could.

"No." He kissed her shoulder and edged her bra strap down just the tiniest bit. "I've got another signing in Savannah."

"Oh." She always tried to keep the sorrow out of her voice, but he knew. He always knew.

"I was actually thinking you could come with me this time. Take a few days off, drive down with me."

She turned in his arms, her eyes seeking his in vain. "I don't know. There's work and…"

"But you're ahead of schedule on your articles. You always are. Think about it, it'll be like a mini-vacation. You and me and some warm southern sunshine…" As he spoke, his hands drifted lower, ghosting lightly over the waistband of her panties.

"And dozens of fans."

He sighed and flipped over onto his back. "That's only one afternoon, Aria. The rest of the time it'll be just the two of us. Will you at least consider it? I never get to see you anymore."

"Yeah, and whose fault is that?" Her voice was bitter and regret pooled low in her stomach. She didn't want to pick a fight. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. I'll call in tomorrow and ask, alright?" Aria settled her palm just above his bellybutton, her head settling on his shoulder.

"No, you're right. But there's only a few more of these things to do, and then I'll be home for good, scout's honor."

She laughed. "Scout's honor?"

"Fine." He rolled them over so that he hovered above her, one arm supporting his wait and the other held her tightly against him. "My lady, I vow, promise, and swear upon my life to never leave you again after the last book signing. For parting is such sweet sorrow."

She grinned and arched up to kiss him. "I love you, you know that? Only you would turn something serious into a chance to show off your vast knowledge of Shakespearean quotes."

"Mhmm, maybe. But alas, I love you, too, fair maiden."

Aria rolled her eyes and laced her hands behind his neck, tugging him closer to her. "Oh Romeo?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

Ezra laughed and pecked her lips softly. "Gladly, Juliet, gladly." He dipped his head down to meet her mouth, and those were the last words exchanged for a good while.

…**ooo00ooo…**

** S**avannah in the springtime was a beauty to behold. It was pleasantly sunny, a warm seventy degrees, and exactly what Aria needed to get herself out of the depressing funk she'd been in for the past month. The drive down had been relatively uneventful, but incredibly gratifying. It'd taken two days to complete the journey. She'd traversed the low rolling hills of Virginia, the flat, never ending, pine tree lined highways of North Carolina, crossed right across the heart of South Carolina, and dipped happily into the low country of coastal Georgia.

Best of all, Ezra had been with her the entire time. They'd shared childhood memories, root beer floats, slices of toothache inducing pecan pie, and several, several kisses. There'd been no phone calls from editors to interrupt them, no emails from anxious publishers. No anything for two days straight. It'd been relaxing and blissful and everything Aria had hoped it'd be.

But the drive down was just the start. When they'd arrived Sunday evening; road weary, bone tired, and starving, they checked into a little hotel on Ellis Square. Together, they'd changed into pajamas and collapsed onto the bed, both of them too exhausted to even contemplate ordering dinner.

…**ooo00ooo…**

**M**onday morning was bittersweet. Ezra had the book signing at noon, and there was just enough time for a quick breakfast and stroll around the square before he had to leave. Aria had given herself a pep talk in the shower, something along the lines of _I will not cry. It's only a few hours. Suck it up, Montgomery. You're a big girl-_motivating, but not quite enough to prevent the ache of sadness from washing over her as she watched him drive away.

Still, Savannah offered enough to distract her for days, much less the short period of time she had before he returned. Camera in hand, she set out alone. Though she had a map, she preferred to let her feet guide her—or rather her eyes. She'd snapped so many pictures by the time she was done, that her camera card was almost full. There were pictures of centuries old houses, even older trees draped with Spanish moss, statues, and people.

One photograph in particular stood out. She'd been sitting on a bench, munching happily on a praline from the Candy Kitchen when she'd spotted him. Old, and weathered, and grey, the man sat a few benches down from her, a shock of reeds beside him.

He twisted and tucked and knotted the pieces of palmetto until it formed a rose. She'd taken his picture, and when he'd noticed her presence he'd approached her. "For you pretty lady," he'd said.

Aria thanked him and fingered the flower gently. It was amazing how something so beautiful could be made from something so sharp. She reached into her pocket to pull out a few dollars, but he'd held up his hand in protest. "No. This one's for free."

"Thank you." She smiled and tucked the money back into her pocket. "Will you show me?"

He nodded and sat down beside him. Aria wasn't really sure how long she sat there, watching him shape and sculpt five more flowers. His fingers moved too quickly for her to really pick up on how he made them, but it didn't matter. As he worked, he spoke, first of the history of the palmetto rose, and then of his family, and then of Savannah itself. Aria was floored by the passionate note in his voice. She wondered if she'd ever feel so deeply about one place as the man seemed too, as everyone in Savannah seemed to.

Then the sun began to sink behind the trees, and the shadows grew long. Aria gathered her things, tucked the bundle of roses she'd accumulated into her purse, and discretely slipped a twenty onto the bench beside her.

"Thank you for a wonderful afternoon."

The gentleman laughed and gave her a wink. "No thank you, pretty lady."

She rolled her eyes, laughed, and gave a final wave, before wandering back in the direction of the hotel, a slight bounce in her step.

…**ooo00ooo…**

**E**zra was asleep on the bed when she reentered the hotel room, and guiltily she wondered how long he'd been back. Quietly, she set her camera and roses on the nightstand before sliding off her shoes and settling on the bed next to him.

"Babe?" Her fingers gingerly brushed his bangs back from his forehead and she leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead.

"Hmmm?" Ezra smiled lazily and blinked slowly. "I missed you."

She blushed and met his smile with a grin of her own. "Have you been here long?"

He glanced over at the clock. "Nope, no more than an hour."

"I'm sorry I wasn't back. There was this man and he made these roses." She reached for her bag and pulled one out. "Aren't they incredible? It was fascinating, the way he explained them. Did you know…"

Aria prattled on, and Ezra listened intently, glad to see genuine excitement on her face for the first time in weeks. When she finished, she tucked the rose back into her bag and laced her fingers with his. "So, Mr. Fitz, are you ready to go explore?"

He grinned and rolled off the bed. "Lead the way, Miss Montgomery. Lead the way."

…**ooo00ooo…**

** D**inner was a quiet affair. The pair settled on sandwiches and Cokes by the riverfront. It was a picnic of sorts and as Aria happily crunched on her bag of BBQ potato chips, she couldn't have asked for a better way to end her evening.

"How did the book signing go?"

Ezra took a long drink of soda before looking down at her. "Well, I suppose. It still blows my mind how many people have read the book."

"It was a great book. Don't be so hard on yourself."

He slid an arm along the back on the bench, one hand draping over her shoulder to play with a lock of hair. "What about you? Any other adventures beside Mr. Rosy?"

Aria giggled lightly at his nickname for the elderly gentleman she'd met earlier in the day. "Well, I had the _best _praline. We should get one before we head back to the hotel, or twelve."

Ezra's eyes widened. "Twelve? Were they really that good?"

She licked her lips as if remembering the sugary taste. "They were _that_ good. Oh, and I wanted to stop and get a copy of that book, _Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil_. Mr. Rosy mentioned that I should read it."

"You know, I'm beginning to think you'd rather spend the rest of this vacation with him."

Ezra stuck his lower lip out in a fake pout and Aria kissed his cheek. "Nope, sorry mister, but you're stuck with me."

He rolled his eyes and took her hand. "Darn, and here I was hoping to slip away." Ezra tugged her up off the bench and tossed their wrappers from dinner into a nearby trashcan.

"Not a chance." She slid an arm around his waist and pulled her close.

"So where to?"

"Hmm, why don't we just see where we end up?"

He smiled and intertwined their fingers. "Sounds like a plan to me."

…**ooo00ooo…**

** T**hey ended up in Forsyth Park. Aria stood in front of the fountain, and Ezra behind her, his arms wrapped tightly around her middle.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Aria sighed and let her head drop back onto his shoulder, her hands tracing a slow path over his forearms. Twilight had fallen, and the fountain was lit up. Everything was golden for a long bit, as the shadows of the oak trees fought the fading sunlight.

"Very beautiful." He kissed the top of her hand and squeezed tightly. "You're beautiful."

She smiled and toyed lightly with his fingers. "I think I'd like to live here. It's so serene, and just…perfect. Can't you imagine us owning one of these little townhouses, our children playing out here?"

He swallowed thickly and turned her to face him. "Our children?"

She furrowed her brow and brushed his cheek softly with the tip of her thumb. "Of course, our children, and maybe a black lab, named Darcy. Oh, and a tabby cat name Georgiana." Aria laughed quietly and then grew serious. "I don't know, it's just not hard to imagine forever here."

Ezra smiled tenderly and swept a few wisps of hair from her eyes. Forever with Aria was the only thing he'd ever wanted—the only thing he'd ever need. "I like the sound of that." He leaned forward and brushed his lips softly against hers. "A postcard worthy house, on a postcard worthy square; it sounds so cliché, but you're right, it's perfect, and children who look just like their mother…" His hands slid to her waist, pulling her ever so slowly towards him. "You really want children?"

"Someday, when we're married. And I want three to be exact, two boys and one girl."

"Three?" His voice came out as a strained sort of squeak and Aria laughed.

"Well, maybe just one to start out with."

Ezra relaxed and released her as she moved to pick a few pink azaleas from a nearby bush. She handed one to him and he tucked behind her ear. She grinned and giggled happily before skipping away to read the inscription on a statue.

He followed a few steps behind, mulling thoughtfully over her words. _Someday when we're married._ Someday seemed like eons away, and for once, he regretted their age difference. At 30, he was ready to settle down; ready to start working on the three kids she wanted. Hell, if he had his way, though he'd never actually admit to it, he wanted four. But as he watched her spin playfully and stare up at the statue in quiet contemplation, he knew he'd wait. He'd wait decades if it meant he could have forever with her.

Because that's what you do when you love someone. You wait for them. You share plans for the future. It was funny. He'd never been willing to give up everything for something before. Then she came along, and with each passing day, his love for her grew. _Yes, _Ezra though as Aria danced up to him and took his hand_, he'd definitely wait forever._

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><p><strong>AN: Only 4 more chapters to go! If you haven't already make sure to check out my blog for spoilers, and don't forget to review. It's always great to hear what you guys think. **


	22. Remembrance

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 21**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pretty Little Liars or its characters. All rights belong to Sara Shepard and ABC Family respectively. **

**Recap: Aria and Ezra took a much needed vacation. They've reconnected—at least for the moment. But now, with the one year anniversary of Hanna's death approaching, how will they cope?**

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><p>April 2018: The Riddle by Five For Fighting<p>

Rosewood, Pennsylvania never really changed all that much. Babies were born, kids graduated high school and moved away for college, the elderly died—but aside from those basic life occurrences, days usually passed in the same manner year after year. In the summer, families hit the parks for picnics, splashed in the local pool to cool off, and visited The Creamery on a daily basis for a frozen treat. Then, in the fall, when the youth returned to school, the leaves began to turn color and the playgrounds went unused as the October chill began to set in. Libraries and movie theatres and roller skating rinks became the places to be seen. Winter brought snow, and festively decorated shop windows, and hot chocolate. And spring, that wonderful time of year when everything was green, brought the little kids out of hiding and back onto the playgrounds.

Aria had always loved playgrounds. As a small child she'd been addicted to the slide, the exhilarating whoosh as she coasted down the metal. By her tween years, she'd matured to the swings. There was something oddly comforting about tilting her head back and letting the wind whip her hair around. The other girls had laughed at her, told her to grow up, but sometimes late at night, when she'd had a particularly rough day or just needed a break from reality, she'd sneak off to the playground for a few hours and just sit on the swings, rocking back and forth in a small, smooth rhythm.

"Are you alright?"

Aria's head jerked up at the sound of Ezra's voice, and she swallowed thickly. "Yeah, I'm…I'm fine. Just thinking about things I guess."

"Want to talk about it?"

She shook her head and nestled close to his side on the bench. "Not really."

He rubbed her back soothingly and pointed out towards where Elijah was being pushed on the swings by Paul. "Do you think coming back here was a good idea?"

Aria shrugged. "I don't know. I think it's different for each of us. It'll be good for Paul. He's come so far, this might be the final step before he's really ready to let go."

"And what about you? Are you ready to let go?"

She sniffed and wrapped her cardigan around her tighter. "I'm not sure, Ezra. Being here, remembering everything, it's just hard."

He squeezed her shoulder gently and tugged her up off the bench. "I know it is, but sitting here and moping isn't doing you any good. Come on, why don't we go see if Elijah's willing to share the swing set?"

Aria nodded and gave a small laugh before taking his hand. "Lead the way."

…**ooo00ooo…**

Death leaves a heartache that cannot be healed. The pain can be dulled, pushed and prodded into the background—but it is never entirely forgotten. Aria had learned to cope with her best friend's absence. She'd grown accustomed to eating Ben and Jerry's alone, had finally kicked the habit of whipping out of her phone every time she saw some sort of fashion disaster, and no longer grumbled when she went shopping. Hanna had loved shopping. Aria _could_ learn to love shopping.

The one year anniversary of Hanna's death was marked by a cool, silent sunrise, and a small bundle of daisies upon her grave. Aria went alone that morning, wrapped warmly in an old sweatshirt of Ezra's and her most comfortable pair of jeans. Rosewood's cemetery was empty at the early hour. Spring dew still clung to the young blades of grass, and the moisture soaked through the material of Aria's pants as she kneeled next to Hanna's grave.

She was at a loss for words. Nothing seemed adequate. Nothing seemed right. Instead, she settled for tears—hot tears that burned her cheeks as they trickled down her face. Her nails dug into the soft skin of her palm as she clenched her hands into fists. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to have someone so young, so beautiful, so full of_ life_, be gone at such an early age.

"Hanna." The lone word was broken, and Aria's strangled voice sounded foreign…even to her own ears. Her right hand relaxed and a silver bracelet fell to the ground, landing softly on top of the daisies.

It'd been their common link, that tiny strand of hammered silver. Freshmen year of high school, they'd given the bracelets to one another as a sign of their unbreakable friendship. _No boys, no drama, no fight will ever come between us._

Aria's amused snort was bitter. _Death_ had come between them. "I miss you Hanna. A lot. There's not even enough words to say how much. Ezra and I are together now—you were right, Han. He did have a thing for me." She laughed then, her tears of mirth mixing with those of sadness. "I think he's the one Hanna. And Paul, well, he's happy too. So happy. Audrey and Elijah have been good for him. Sometimes, I wish you were here to see it, but I guess you do don't you? You can see all of us from wherever you are, can't you?"

Aria continued rambling on, her words aimed at no one in particular—no one that was actually there at least. And then, when the words stopped, the tears came again. They were slower, each one leaving a wet track of cloudy black down her cheek as her mascara ran. That was how Ezra and Paul found her almost an hour later, sitting in the wet grass, face damp with tears and hands wrapped tightly around her middle.

She looked so small, waiting there all alone by the tombstone. Ezra ached to go to her, to hold her close and take away some of the pain etched across her face. Aria was too young to have such a heavy anguish in her eyes. But he didn't. Paul held him back with a restraining hand and wandered towards Aria instead.

Ezra let him. It was only fitting, he realized, to let those who'd been closest to Hanna in life mourn her in death. He could offer a comforting shoulder to cry on, a ready ear to listen, and a strong set of arms to hold with, but he'd never be able to completely understand the pain either of them felt. He'd never had that sort of relationship with Hanna. He'd liked her well enough, loved her because Paul and Aria loved her, but they'd never shared any secrets or had super meaningful conversations.

Aria wandered towards him a few minutes later, using the sleeve of her sweatshirt to wipe away her smeared makeup.

"You okay?"

She took a shuddery breath and nodded before wrapping her arms around him in a bone crushing hug. "Will it ever get easier, Ezra?"

These were the moments when he felt their age difference most acutely. Sometimes, often in times of incredible vulnerability, Aria looked to him for guidance, for some sort of infinite wisdom that supposedly came with age. Usually, he had no advice to give. For all his years, he was no better equipped at handling troubles of human life than any other person. "I don't know, Aria. It's nice to hope it will, and I think that in time perhaps it will. You'll always remember her, but someday the memories won't be painful."

Aria sniffled and buried her face in his chest. He felt tears dampen the material and he held her tighter.

"Thank you." She gave him a watery smile and kissed his chin tenderly.

He glanced down at her and brushed a few strands of hair from her forehead. "For what?"

"Always being there. Always knowing what to say."

His lips curved into a gentle smile. "I'll always be here, Aria." He released her and shifted on the bench so that she was curled into his side. Silently, they watched Paul lay a bouquet of red roses upon the grave and trace the engraving on the marker thoughtfully.

"Is he going to be okay?"

Aria wiped her eyes again. "I think he already is, Ezra. I think he already is."

…**ooo00ooo…**

Twilight had always held some sort of magic for Ezra Fitz. The sky wasn't light, but it wasn't dark either. It was a happy medium, with stars and the sun meeting together in perfect masterpiece. In late spring, the air was always warm, sometimes even a bit humid. And then there were the fireflies. From an early age, he'd always made it a nightly ritual of his to watch them dance across the lawn of his childhood home. It'd always been a game to watch them appear and then disappear, and then reappear again. Sometimes he'd catch them, put them in jars, and release them. Paul always kept those that he caught—and inevitably they were dead by morning.

The April night that marked one year since Hanna's passing was no exception. Ezra wasn't doing much catching. Instead, he sat on his parents' porch nursing a glass of lemonade and watching Aria and Elijah skip around the yard as they tried to catch the bugs. Audrey and Paul had gone for a walk after dinner, and Aria offered to keep Elijah. She'd taken a strong liking to the child, and it wasn't hard to imagine her five years down the road with a little boy of her own.

"Ezra, come help us!"

He shook his head and grinned at Aria. "I think Elijah's got it under control."

She stuck her tongue at him and he laughed. "You're no fun."

Ezra shrugged and pointed towards the glowing jar in Elijah's hand. "There's no way I can compete with that."

Aria skipped over to him, an energetic smile on her lips. "Well then…"

Whatever she'd been about to say was cut off by the shrill ring of his cell phone. He kissed her forehead in a silent apology before answering.

"Hello? No Charles, this isn't a bad time. What can I do for you?"

Aria sighed and sat down on the bottom step of the porch. Charles was Ezra's agent, and whenever Charles called it meant a half hour conversation.

"You want me to what? Are you serious, they really want to make it a movie? How long… Oh, I see. Of course I'll think about it. Yeah, sure I'll get back with you tomorrow. You too, have a good night."

Ezra hung up and slipped his phone back into his pocket. "You're never going to believe what Charles wanted."

Aria looked at him expectantly, though she was already fairly certain she wasn't going to like whatever he had to say.

"They want me to fly out to California. Apparently, Paramount wants to make my book into a movie."

Aria tried to force a smile. It fell flat. "Oh. How long would you be gone?"

He frowned and sat down beside her. "Three months. Now I know it sounds like a long time, but we can work it out. Maybe you could move out there with me. You've always wanted to see the west coast."

"No."

His eyes widened at the harsh tone in her voice. "No? What do you mean?"

"I mean no, I won't move out there with you. I'm just getting settled again. There's no way I'm picking up and moving three thousand miles away."

"Aria, come on. We don't have to decide anything tonight. Don't be like this. Don't make me choose."

"I'm not making you choose anything. I'm just saying that I'm staying here."

Ezra reached for her hand, and she jerked away, jumping off the steps and sprinting across the yard to join Elijah. What the hell had just happened?

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><p><strong>Only 3 More to Go! <strong>


	23. Three Months To Forever

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 21**

**Disclaimer: Seriously, if I owned PLL I wouldn't be sitting here. I'd be soaking up the sun on some tropical island and enjoying all the money I'm making.**

**To the reviewer who suggested they have 19 kids…Good grief! That's a lot of little Ezrias.**

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><p><em>May 2018: Kiss Me Slowly by Parachute<em>

Distance was never an easy thing. Aria had learned _that_ lesson early on, first with her parents and then with her trip to Greece. And now, as she lay in bed with Ezra the night before his departure for California, she wondered if her heart would be able to survive another separation.

Three months was 92 days, 2,2008 hours, 13,680 minutes. That might as well have been a lifetime without Ezra. She sighed and blinked back tears. She'd promised herself she wouldn't cry; at least not when he could see it.

"What are you thinking about?" His voice was quiet and the traces of his fingertips along her arm were gentle as he rolled to face her.

"A lot of things I suppose."

"Care to share?" Ezra buried his face in her hair and nuzzled her neck softly.

"Not really. I'd rather just be here. Hold me?" Her voice cracked and Ezra felt his heart break the tiniest bit. Leaving her felt like betrayal.

"Always." Slowly, he wrapped her in his embrace, his grip sure and firm as she buried her face in his neck. "Always, Aria."

She forced a smile and kissed his chin. "I don't know if I can say goodbye to you."

"It isn't goodbye, Aria."

She looked up, confusion written in the furrow of her brow. "It isn't?"

Ezra smiled gently and kissed her forehead. "No. We live in the age of technology, remember? There's email, and instant messaging, and Facebook, and Skype, and cell phones of course. I'll never be more than a click or a phone call away."

She seemed to relax a little, and pressed her lips tenderly against his. "Yes, but we won't have this." Aria hooked her leg over his hip and squeezed his shoulder tightly. "I won't be able to touch you, or feel you. And I—as silly as it sounds, I'm not sure if I can live without it."

He groaned softly as she pushed him onto his back, her full weight coming to settle on his waist. "We'll find a way." Gently, he gripped her hips and pulled her down until their foreheads rested against each others. "But we'd best make tonight count then, shouldn't we?"

Aria nodded as he claimed her lips and tugged her tank top over her head.

In the still, muggy quiet of early May, they loved one another; their movements tender and calculated and prolonged, each of them trying to draw out the short time they had left together. And when it was over, and the lovers lay twined beneath the sheets, sweaty bare skin pressed against sweaty bare skin, they knew that that one night would never be enough—nothing could ever be enough when soul mates were concerned.

"I love you."

He smiled and kissed her lips affectionately. "I love you, too. That was…I mean, I don't think there's even a word for it."

Aria giggled quietly and drew a hand up his chest, her palm eventually coming to flatten protectively over his heart. "Three months is an eternity."

He frowned. "You could still come with me."

She shook her head sadly. "I can't. My life is here, Ezra."

He flipped over abruptly and propped himself up so that he was hovering above her, one forearm supporting his weight, and the other sliding beneath her back. "Your life is with me." A hopeful look crossed his face, and he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Marry me, Aria?"

Her breath caught in her throat, and she felt her pulse begin to race. "I—Ezra, I…" She trailed off and bit her lip nervously. She wasn't ready. Marriage was too big of a commitment, too much for her to handle at such a young age. And though she was certain there would come a time one day when she was ready, and she could give a hearty and entirely sure "yes", now was not the time. Somehow, she knew if she told him yes, if she promised him forever, they'd both come to regret it. His request stemmed more from fear, and from the endorphins still running through his body from their amazing sex, rather than love. He wasn't ready either.

"Aria, please. It's an engagement, not a crime."

His voice sounded pained, and she already felt tears beginning to well in her eyes. "Ezra, I can't."

Beside her, his hand clenched into fists and his gaze hardened. "You can't or you won't?"

She shook her head and arched up to caress his cheek. He recoiled and slid back over to his side of the bed. "We're not ready. This, tonight, we're both running on emotions and anxiety and dread for tomorrow." Aria moved towards him, her fingertips lightly brushing the bare skin of his shoulder. "Ezra…"

"Forget it, Aria. Let's just get some sleep, alright?"

She bit her lip and flopped back onto her pillow, silent tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks. "I love you."

There was no answer.

…**ooo00ooo…**

**E**verything seemed harsher in the light of day. Aria had slept very little, tossing and turning, until early morning, when she finally gave in and curled against Ezra. In sleep, he'd embraced her, tucking on warm hand over her waist. The routine action was comforting, even if he did do it unconsciously.

But then he woke up, the alarm clock beeped, and her moment of respite was destroyed. Ezra didn't seem as angry, and in fact, he tried really hard not to be. Though he was hurt she'd rejected him, he refused to let it ruin their last few hours together.

He showered, dressed, and triple checked his bags before waking her up. Her brilliant smile upon waking was the only thing he'd ever need to see to know things we're going to be alright between them. "Good morning."

Aria stretched, her back arching like a cat's and a soft mewl of satisfaction escaping her lips.

"You're adorable, you know that?" He leaned down to kiss her, and couldn't help but grin against her lips as she whispered a quiet, _I know. "_We've got to get going soon."

Aria groaned and tugged him down beside her. "No. Stay."

He sighed softly and released himself from her grip. "I wish I could. But the sooner I leave, the sooner I come back."

She nodded ruefully and slipped out of bed. "Let me shower real quick, then we can go." Her actions were mechanical as she moved about their bedroom, gathering her robe and clothes.

"Hey," he caught her around the waist and drew her tightly against him, "I love you. Nothing will ever change that."

She smiled sadly and her eyes filled with tears. The way he said it, it sounded so _final. _"I love you, too, Ezra. And I'm sorry about…"

A firm finger pressed against her lips silenced her. "Don't apologize, please?"

"But-"

"No, Aria. Now go get ready, I'll be right out here waiting."

They shared one final kiss and then she trudged towards the bathroom, shoulders drooped and eyes downcast.

Ezra groaned as soon as she shut the bathroom door. Leaving her was going to take every ounce of restraint he had.

…**ooo00ooo…**

**Y**et forty-five minutes later, he was preparing to do so. His bags had been checked, his boarding pass was tucked safely into his back pocket, and there was nothing left to do but go through security.

"I've got to leave now, Aria." He pulled away from the bone crushing hug she'd held him in for the past ten minutes. "I can't miss my flight."

And just like that, her world crumbled. "Already," she croaked.

He nodded and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. "I'm afraid so. They called boarding about five minutes ago."

"Oh." She tilted her face towards him, a sad smile spreading over her lips. "I guess this is goodbye then."

He squeezed her hand roughly. "Don't say that. This isn't goodbye, Aria."

"It feels like it. I feel like I'm never going to see you again."

Ezra dropped his forehead to hers. "Of course you'll see me again. It's only three months. Three months and then we'll be togehter forever."

He kissed her then, quieting any rebuttal she had, and forcing away any doubts that were creeping in. The airport was crowded, and they were probably creating a scene, but it was a kiss that needed to last three months—and three months was an impossibly long time.

When they finally drew apart, he was panting and she was crying. "I love you. Don't forget that."

She sniffled and rose up on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck. "I love you, too. Call me as soon as you land?"

He nodded and kissed her temple. "Of course." Ezra swallowed thickly and disentangled himself from her embrace, pausing to pick up his carry on before turning to face her one last time. "Three months, Aria. Three months and then we'll be together again."

She nodded and shoved her hands into her pockets to keep from pulling him back towards her. "Three months."

And then he was gone, the dark grey of his t-shirt disappearing amongst the throng of hundreds of other travelers passing through security.

**A/N: Only 2 more to go! **


	24. Degrees of Separation

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 23**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. All rights/characters belong to ABC Family and Sara Shepard respectively. **

**To the reviewer who suggested I kill Ezra—it's not happening in this story, but maybe someday in another one? And the fact that you signed your review (A) totally made my night.**

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><p><em>June 2018: From Where You Are by Lifehouse<em>

They say the first few days of being apart are the hardest. If you can make it through them, then the rest is smooth sailing—relatively speaking of course. There are still the occasional hiccups: bad connections, minor misunderstandings, and the like, but they're easily worked through, easily forgotten. What isn't however, and what people usually neglect to mention, is the fact that contact drastically dwindles after those crucial initial days.

Week one of Ezra's California exile (as Aria had so lovingly termed it) there were twenty five phone calls, 222 texts, thirteen emails, and four incredibly long Skype sessions.

Week two, the numbers began to sink, with sixteen phone calls, 180 texts, nine emails, and 2 Skype sessions—both of which were fairly brief.

Week three was even worse, and by that point Aria felt like she was losing it, and in the process, losing him. She'd talked to Ezra seven times over the course of seven days—all of the conversations had been under ten minutes. There were 143 texts in her inbox—most of them apologetic and full of promises to get up with her later. Email and Skype no longer existed, and she physically ached to see his face—even if it was somewhat distorted and pixilated by the webcam.

By week four, and the one month mark, communication didn't really exist. She'd spoken to him once, and it was the sort of chat that left a lot to be desired. It was a_ hey-babe, how's-it-going, love-you, got-to-go-now, _type of deal.

Ezra was busy of course, and he did try, he really did. But the funny thing about trying is, no matter how long you do it, or how much of yourself you give, it's sometimes never enough.

Aria didn't sleep anymore. Well, she did, but she didn't sleep _well. _Their queen size bed was too empty, their apartment too large, without him in it. She was tired, and she was lonely, and she cried. A lot.

"Alright, enough! It's intervention time!"

Aria jumped as Audrey barged into the apartment, her voice loud in the quiet apartment.

"Get up, get out of those sweats. You're coming with me." Audrey tugged her up off the couch and shoved her towards the bedroom.

"Audrey, what the hell are you doing? I'm fine." Aria crossed her arms defensively across her chest and thrust her chin out in defiance. She was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and incredibly annoyed that everyone seemed to think something was wrong with her.

"You're not fine. We're going out. You can't stay curled up on the couch until Ezra gets back."

"Sure I can. It's pretty comfy." She sat back down as if to prove her point, her back sinking softly onto the pillows.

"Yeah, well being out in the sunshine feels pretty good too. Besides, I'm here on Ezra's orders. He's worried about you."

A bitter snort escaped Aria. "Worried? He doesn't have a clue how I'm doing—he doesn't call anymore."

"Well, I'm not here to argue about communication skills. You're getting your butt dressed and out into the city."

"But…"

"No, buts. Now come on, I made us reservations for dinner."

Grumbling about bossy friends, and their nosy habits, Aria trudged towards the bathroom to shower. Forty-five minutes later, she was seated in a booth with Audrey, chowing down the best meal she'd had in a long time.

"So how's Elijah? Paul told me he likes going to camp."

"He's fine, and yes, he does. But we're not here to talk about Elijah, or Paul for that matter. I want to know where you've been this past month. Geez, Aria. If you didn't occasionally respond to text messages, I'd have thought you'd died."

"I've just been busy, you know with work and all."

"Bullshit."

Aria's eyes widened at Audrey's frank language and she took a long sip of her water. Though she'd known the young woman for almost a year, Aria wasn't sure if she'd ever get used to her forward nature.

"I _know_ your work schedule, Aria. You've disappeared for an entirely different reason. Why don't you tell me what's going on? Maybe I can help." Her face softened and she placed a reassuring hand over Aria's. "I may not be Paul, but I'm your friend, and I want to fix whatever's wrong."

Aria shook her head and blinked back the tears that burned her eyes. "There's nothing to be fixed."

Audrey frowned. "I'm sure there's something to be done. What's wrong, Aria?"

She hesitated and pushed a lump of mashed potatoes around on her plate. "It's Ezra. He—we never talk anymore. I feel like I'm losing him."

"That's crazy. You're not _losing _anyone. Distance is hard, Aria, but it's not impossible."

Aria shrugged. "Maybe for some people, but I miss him so much, Audrey. It hurts to even think about it."

"I know. But there's only what, two months left? You've got a long weekend coming up soon, why don't you fly out there?"

"He's busy. There wouldn't be time."

"Aria, he'd make time for you."

"He doesn't now."

The two women grew silent, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

"Ezra proposed to me before he went." Aria's words were quiet, and she glanced at Audrey uncertainly, trying to gage her reaction.

"What? Like marriage, proposed? What'd you say?"

Aria sighed and slid her plate away. "I told him no, said that I wasn't ready. But Audrey, do you think it would've made a difference? If I'd said yes, would he still be as distant as he is now?"

Audrey shook her head. "I don't think it matters. But were you not ready because he was leaving, or were you not ready because you're scared?"

That last little statement, _because you're scared_, struck a chord with Aria. In many ways she was scared, terrified even, that she relied so heavily on one human being. The love she felt for Ezra was overwhelming, and at times it frightened her that she was so willing to give up anything for him. But she'd never admit it. The feminist, independent streak in her refused to acknowledge her need for him.

"Audrey, it's not like that. I'm just young, and there's still a lot I want to do."

"But he's not, Aria. I've heard him and Paul talking before. Ezra's ready to settle down."

"Are you saying he won't wait for me?"

"No, I'm not saying anything of the like. I'm just trying to point out that you're lying to yourself."

Aria frowned and fiddled with the corner of her napkin. "How do you figure?"

"Well, you love him, right? And you want to spend forever with him?" Aria nodded and Audrey smiled. "What's holding you back then? There's nothing you can't do married that you can do now."

"I don't know. I guess I just always had this plan. A few years on my own, engaged at twenty-six, and my first kid at thirty."

"So you're a couple years off, what does that really matter in the grand scheme of things?"

Audrey's phone buzzed on the table, and she quickly scanned the text. "I'm sorry, Elijah's sick. I've got to go. But we're not finished with this conversation, okay?"

Aria nodded and stood to gather her things before tossing a twenty on the table to cover her meal. "Alright. And Audrey?"

"Yes?"

She smiled. "Thank you. I need that butt-kicking. Hanna would've been proud."

Audrey laughed and slung her purse over her shoulder. "Anytime, Aria. Anytime."

…**ooo00ooo…**

**S**leep didn't come easy that night either, and Aria found herself tossing one way an then the other, shoving the blankets up, down, and then up again. Audrey's words tumbled around in her heads, the message in them louder than any heavy metal rock song. _So what if you're off a couple years?_

Aria didn't regret telling Ezra no. She still truly believed that he'd been acting on anxiety and fear that the short separation would drive them apart. Maybe he'd had a point. With a loud groan she reached across the mattress and snagged her cell phone from the nightstand. _She'd be able to sleep_, she decided,_ once she'd heard his voice. _

He answered on the third ring, his voice weary and frustrated. "Hello?"

"Hey." Aria's voice was quiet, and she wasn't quite sure what to say. "Am I calling at a bad time?"

…**ooo00ooo….**

Three thousand miles away, and three hours behind, Ezra Fitz relaxed for the first time in days. _This was what he'd been missing. _He'd been missing _her. _"No, it's a perfect time actually. I've been going over this script for hours, I need a break." He glanced over at the clock on his desk. 10:03. "Isn't it late there, babe?"

"A little after one I think, but I couldn't sleep." She sighed and clutched a pillow to her chest, willing herself to imagine it was him instead. "I miss you." Her voice caught and she took a deep breath.

"I miss you too, Aria. 62 more days."

She groaned and flipped over, cradling the phone against her shoulder. "Don't remind me. What've you been up to? It's been forever since you called, or texted, or emailed me."

Ezra ran a hand through his hair and glanced out of the window, trying to imagine her, laying in bed all alone. The image made him ache. "I know, I'm sorry. I've just…"

"Been busy, I know. It's just—never mind. I didn't call to get into an argument. I just wanted to hear your voice."

"Aria." His voice sounded pained and Aria swallowed thickly. She hadn't meant to upset him. "I love you, don't ever forget. I know this situation isn't ideal, but I promise when I get back I'll never have to go again."

She bit her lip to stifle to question that was on the tip of her tongue. There was no way he could be certain of that, no way he could be so sure of what the future held. "I love you too, Ezra. I umm…" She fumbled for something to say, something to keep him on the line just a bit longer. "I had dinner with Audrey tonight. She came in and kicked my butt."

Ezra laughed and Aria nearly cried from the beauty of the sound. "Kicked your butt? What'd you do?"

"Let's just say I've been a bit of a hermit lately. Sweats, Chinese take out, bad movies, the whole nine yards."

"Ahh—me too. But with ridiculous amounts of manuscripts instead of movies. I did watch _A Walk to Remember_ the other night though, cried like a baby through the whole thing."

Aria giggled and pressed the phone tighter against her ear, as if the action would bring him closer. "You didn't!"

He chuckled and traced one fingertip over the picture of her sitting on his desk. "I did. It was pretty pathetic actually."

They fell silent again, and for a few minutes the pair was content to listen to the slow breathing of the other. When Ezra finally spoke, his voice was low and Aria nearly shivered from the tender note in it. "I think I should let you go, you need to sleep. But I love you, and I'll call you in the morning."

She yawned and nodded, tugging the blankets up over her with her free hand. "I love you too, Ezra. And you'd better call me, or else I might have to stick Audrey on you."

Ezra laughed. "I'll make sure to call then. Let's say 10 o'clock your time?"

"Ten's good. Goodnight, Ezra."

He sighed and felt his throat constrict with tears. Sixty two days was an eternity. "Goodnight, Aria." Ezra hung up the phone and settled back into his chair. _Yes,_ _sixty two days was most definitely an eternity._


	25. The Good Kind of Crazy

**Four and Twenty: Chapter 24**

**Disclaimer: Even after all of this, I don't own Pretty Little Liars. All rights belong to ABC Family and Sara Shepard respectively. **

**Alright, here it is folks, the final chapter of Four and Twenty. It's been quite a ride, and I thank each and every one of you that has reviewed, read, and hung on for the journey. I'd list all of you, and I wish I could give all of you ice cream sundaes for being so awesome, but that'd take forever and I'm broke…so enough of my rambling. Ready? Read, Review, and Enjoy this final chapter!**

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><p><em>July 2018: You and Me by Lifehouse<em>

There are some things in life that certain. Birth. Death. Growth. Other things are not so constant. They're transitory, ever shifting, ever changing. Emotions. Beliefs. Decisions. Those unpredictable things, those crazy moments and events and feelings that make up the roller coaster of life are what matter most. It'd taken Aria Montgomery two very long and very dramatic years to realize that. She'd flown from one side of the earth and back, lost one friend and gained another, broken her heart and healed it. And most importantly of all, she'd come out stronger, loved deeper, and at the end of the day, lived fuller.

Of course that realization didn't really come to fruition until she purchased a one way ticket to California and shoved as much as she could into a carryon bag. Like all of her other crazy, life-altering decisions, Aria didn't really have a plan. She'd woken up alone for the sixty-fifth day and decided she was done. Done being alone. Done crying herself to sleep at night. Done being without _him. _

She slept through most of the flight, made her eleven o'clock connection in Chicago, and landed in Los Angles at four. Aria tried to call Ezra and warn him that she was coming—ten times in fact—but he hadn't answered a single one. And had she not been so excited to finally be making the right choice, she would've been a bit pissed off. As it was though, she couldn't be.

He didn't get off work until seven, and she figured she'd just go ahead and wait for him outside of the office building. She knew he hated surprises, but Aria had a feeling this was one he'd certainly appreciate. By the time 6:30 came around, she'd dropped her stuff off at his hotel, showered, and changed into something a bit more appropriate for the sweltering weather.

…**ooo00ooo…**

At 7:00 on the dot, Ezra strolled out of the office building, his cell phone in one hand and a brief case in the other. Aria had called him ten times. A sinking feeling shot through him—what if something had happened, what if she'd been hurt? He paused just outside the revolving doors and dialed her number, taking one deep breath to ensure he didn't sound like a panicked fool when she answered—if she answered.

"Hello?"

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" _Yeah, not sounding like a panicked fool didn't happen._

"Nothing happened. Why?" Aria peered around the corner from her perch on a bench and tried to find him. When she did, her face split into a large grin and she struggled to keep excitement out of her voice. The California sun had been good for him. He was tanner, his hair was lighter, and he seemed leaner—although that could've been the flattering cut of the suit he was wearing.

"Well, you called ten times today. I thought…never mind." He ran a hand through his hair and started through the courtyard, pausing to stare at the fountain in the middle. "So what are doing right now?"

Aria slid down from her seat and started to follow him, her steps quick but quiet. 'I'm checking out this cute guy…"

Ezra frowned and shoved his free hand into his pocket. "And you're telling me that because…"

Aria giggled wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Because I'm looking at you."

He dropped his phone straight into the fountain. "Aria!" The grin that spread over his face was so large it was nearly painful. Ezra turned and embraced her tightly, lifting her feet right off the ground in his eagerness. "What are you doing here?"

She laughed and sank back down onto her own two feet. "Visiting you of course." One arm snaked around his neck, and she tugged his face down towards hers. "I missed you too much. When I woke up this morning, I don't know…I just had to come."

Ezra smiled and slid both hands around her waist. "I'm glad. I love you, Aria." He kissed her then, his lips meeting hers fully and passionately. There was nothing slow and gentle about the kiss, there'd be time for that later. For now, it was rough and brutal, full of give and take. It'd been too long; they'd both endured too much to share anything less.

When he pulled away she was panting and a smirk was forming on her lips.

"Wow. I've missed that too." She kissed him one last time before untangling herself from his vice like grip. He stood there staring at her, a goofy smile on his lips. Aria giggled and gave his hand a small pull. "Well, are you going to show me L.A. or not?"

"I'd rather just stare at you."

She rolled her eyes and then softened. "I'll be here for awhile. There's plenty of time for that. But I'm hungry, I've been flying all day, and I want to spend the rest of the evening seeing the city before my boyfriend locks me in his hotel room for an indefinite period."

He shook his head. "I'd let you out…eventually." Ezra kissed her again, just because _he could_. It was surreal having her there beside him, and he was afraid if he let her go she'd disappear.

…**ooo00ooo…**

**N**ightfall brought a comforting quiet. They'd found refuge from the chaos of the city on the beach, and were quite happy to curl up together and watch the tide come in. The sand was cool and soft in the fading light, and Aria couldn't have imagined a better way to end her first evening in Los Angles.

"It's beautiful out here. Look at the moon." She relaxed against him, and settled herself between his legs. "How is it that you've never come out here before tonight?"

He shrugged before wrapping his arms over her shoulders. "Just didn't have the time I guess. I'm glad you're here." Ezra pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Me too." Aria smiled and picked up a handful of sand, letting the grains run slowly through her fingers before she spoke again. "I'm surprised I didn't come sooner. These past two months have been miserable."

"What made you?"

She bit her lip and tried to come up with a good answer. "A lot of things, I suppose. I can't sleep without you next to me, and I'm lonely all the time. Audrey and I had a conversation too—she's wise beyond her years."

Aria shifted to face him, her eyes impossibly large and beautiful beneath the light of the moon. "She made me realize that I've always taken things so literally, that I need to make decisions that aren't a part of my plan."

He furrowed his brow and traced a feather light trail down her cheek with one finger. "Your plan?"

"A few years on my own, engaged at twenty-six, my first kid at thirty—that kind of plan."

"Oh." He fought a grin as it began to dawn on him what she was saying. "Aria, what are you trying to say?

She took a deep breath and tilted her lips towards his for a brief kiss before responding. "I'm saying that I want you, forever. And I don't care if it's not a part of my plan—screw the plan. This, coming out here was completely insane; I quit my job—again. But it's the good kind of crazy; we're the good kind of crazy. No matter how far away we are from each other, or what we're going through, we always end up together. Always." A sigh escaped her, and she brushed her lips lightly against his again. "I'm rambling, aren't I?"

He smiled tenderly. "Yes, but you can keep going. I think I like where this is heading."

"Anyway, I guess what I'm getting at…" She trailed off for a moment to collect her thoughts. "God, I don't know why I'm so nervous."

He arched an eyebrow at her, prompting her to continue. That one little look, that tiny facial expression that made her heart melt and explode all at the same time gave her the courage to continue.

"Ezra, marry me."

Aria's proposal wasn't really a proposal at all. With the stubborn glint in her eyes, the thrust of her chin, and the firm line of her mouth, it was all demand. Saying no was clearly not an option. But rejection never crossed Ezra's mind.

"Aria, I…" He ran a hand through her hair, smoothing out the strands in the hopes that bringing order to the tousled curls would bring order to his jumbled thoughts. This was not what he'd envisioned. He'd wanted roses and candle light, and soft music, and a good size ring—not cold sand and a chilly breeze. Yet it was perfect in its own right. In retrospect to his ideals of the _proper _proposal, Aria's request was very…_them. _Their relationship was blunt, upfront, and a bit rough around the edges—and it most certainly _wasn't _perfect.

"Say yes, Ezra. Come on, just say it." Aria straightened up, scooting up on her knees to face him. "Say it."

Ezra chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her. "Yes." He grinned against her lips and kissed her again.

She squealed and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, the force of her actions knocking him onto his back. "I…" Aria kissed him again. "Love…" Another kiss. "You."

He shook his head and pulled away, his fingers trailing lightly down her sides. "I love you too, Mrs. Fitz."

Aria softened, her lips quirking up tenderly. "I like the sound of that. Aria Fitz? Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

…**ooo00ooo…**

**L**ate that night, long after Aria had fallen asleep in his arms, Ezra lay awake, staring up at the ceiling as the movement of the fan cast long shadows upon the walls. Two years ago he'd been watching Aria cry herself sick over a man who was never meant to be hers. And now, she was snuggled safely beside him, her breathing soft and cheek warm as it pressed against his bare chest.

He'd always believed in fate, in the power of will. Their relationship was testament to that. Two years, which wasn't very long in the grand scheme of things, had been enough to change a lifetime—two lifetimes really. The past twenty-four months had been an uphill struggle, full of heartbreak and heartache, tears, smiles, laughter, fights, planes, different cities, different countries, different jobs. There'd been several moments when Ezra had wondered if anything, if everything was worth the trouble he went through, the pain he endured. Yet when Aria stirred and slurred a sleepy_ love you_, he knew it had been.

_Two years. Twenty-four months. Forever. _

_Fin._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And that's all she wrote, folks. Well not really, I've got a little bit of an author's note. First, thank you (again) to each and every one of you that reviewed—or even read (and there's THOUSANDS of you)! I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. **

**A GIANT thank you to .soprano (none of this would've been possible without you), and several hugs to all of my friends over on the twitter-verse. You guys make my day!**

**Secondly, I've decided to do a sequel to Miserable at Best. It's going to be A LOT of work, and I don't really have a plan…yet. Suggestions would be awesome (songs to use for chapters are nice too). Look out for the first chapter sometime this week. It should be interesting. **

_**The Promise of Possibility**_probably has a few chapters left in it too, so check often.

I think that's it.

~Sarah 3


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